Jenika is deeply sensitized by the issue of children especially who are sexually abused. We have completed a project on child sexual abuse in Vypin area, Ernakulam. Working at the grass root level with the children who are sexually abused, their agony and suffering has made Jenika to extend the help to other place as Kuttumpuzha where there are children in such need and as per the request of teachers who are from one teacher schools which are running under of kerala government’s General Education Department, Jenika provided awareness programmes on Child sexual abuse and abuses against women.

Kuttumpuzha village is the only tribal region in Ernakulam. There are many ‘oorus’ of each tribe. Their livelihood is agriculture. Most of the adults are not educated. Though children from these tribes have started schooling, but they are not continuing. There are reports that have stated about the dropouts of the students from the schools. When team members of Jenika worked among them, they get to know that the living condition of them is very poor. Parents are not educated and not aware about the value of education so they let the children to lend them a hand in their works. There are five schools in that area and the five schools are located in five different tribal settlements (oorus). There are only almost 12 students in each school. The teacher explained that the children hadn’t received awareness against sexual abuse in such schools and they really needed awareness against sexual abuse for children and their parents. After children’s sections, Jenika team members arranged awareness classes for women on abuses against women. They shared about their pathetic family situations with the team members, so the team members provided counselling and legal awareness against abuses. This project is a support for the most deserving children in tribal area and are discriminated by the society in large and family in specific and not address by the society because of social stigma and socio-political system.

As we know, people in coastal and tribal area are vulnerable in all ways. The tribes in Kuttupuzha are considered as the most vulnerable community in the state. Most of them live in the interior forest ‘ooru’ and each community are so heterogeneous in terms of culture, beliefs, livelihood strategies, social organization and economy. They depend on forest resources such as reed bamboos and other non-timber forest product for their day to day life and income generation. Kuttumpuzha is in the news for the hardships of its residents on transportation and acute water scarcity has been troubling the village for the past several years. Jenika team has experienced these challenges which they are facing and working on the projects related to their basic need.