Since 2011 the focus of our work in India with the Tamil Nadu Labour Union (TNLU) has been on establishing co-operatives with Dalit and Tribal workers so they can gain independence from money lenders and middlemen that have kept them trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Over 2,175 men and women have joined these small scale co-operatives ranging from leather sandal makers in Madurai to tribal goat rearers in the hills around Kodaikanal.
With guidance and training from the TNLU and their own hard work, co-op members have enjoyed great successes. Our surveys show that over 50% of members doubled their incomes within 3 years. This has allowed many to start saving for the future for the first time in their lives.
