MAVANHALLA YOUTH WELFARE ASSOCIATION
Since 1978
ABOUT US
In the year 1978 Mavanalla youth club formed as a sports club and all the village youths joined together and started to practice playing Volley ball.
I am Mr. K. John the founder of MYWA ( Mavanalla Youth Welfare Association) in the year 1987. The purpose was to transform youths who were idea ling around the village training them in playing volley ball has a major sports during that period in Madhumalia area since there was no other entertainment. As days passed by the youths were also engaged in development work. The full fledge community development work started in the year 1987 and is still in progress.
The organisation was started in 1978 by the founder Mr. K. John and began as simply a sports club for the tribal youngsters of his village. He himself was only nineteen at the time.
John, the director of the association then, is not from the tribal community himself but was born and brought up in the area. His mother received a great deal of help and warmth from the tribal people when she was left alone to raise young children, and hence force a close bond developed.
The present association was registered in 1987 when it also received the first permission to bring in foreign funds. It evolved naturally from the youth club which had become a forum for the discussion of the many social and economic problems of the tribal community. The board is composed entirely of local tribal people. The organization began to petition government on their behalf and they had many good ideas for the betterment of their own community but no money with which to put these into practice, and no access to any source of funding. Unfortunately they were the sort of group that the larger donors often seem unable to reach.
There are five types of tribe in this area and they are some of the most unprivileged and exploited groups in India. Originally hunter-gatherers were settled after Independence but were not provided with any basic facilities within their hamlets or given any means of earning a living. Increasing restrictions on access to the forest have reduced their traditional sources of income from the sale of forest produce, cow dung, etc. Most are dependant on seasonal labouring and herding work as it pays well. For generations whole families have endured a particularly exploitative relationship with the wealthier land and cattle owning caste.