The Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) has brought about a special literacy programme targeted at the tribal people in Wayanad district.
The State government has earmarked ₹50 lakh for the project that envisages to make literates out of nearly 18,000 illiterate tribal people in 4,000 tribal hamlets, says, P.S. Sreekala, director, KSLMA. It also aims at executing tribal women empowerment programmes, job oriented training programmes, and introduce the new literates to equivalency courses.
The organisation has launched a pilot project in Attappady tribal area last year that was a huge success. This inspired us to launch the project in Wayanad, Dr. Sreekala says. “We are planning to make 8,823 illiterate tribal people in 300 tribal settlements to make literates in the initial phase,” she adds.
The first phase of the project will be completed in December, and the neoliterates will be able to appear for the fourth standard equivalency course of the authority. A study centre has been set up in every tribal hamlet and two instructors have been appointed in each of the centres to teach the neo literates.
Apart from the literacy programme, the project will also organise development activities in tribal hamlets with the assistance of the Kudumbasree district mission, organise awareness campaigns against alcohol abuse among tribes with the assistance of Excise Department officials, and conduct programmes to attain financial literacy among tribesmen with Canara Bank.
