| Kolam Charitable Foundation, Inc. 6213-A Kahiliholo Road Kilauea, HI. 96754 |
| Kolam Volunteer Program in rural India Affordable Volunteer Program |
* Make a difference and teach in a poor free school. Teach conversation English. * Be a goodwill ambassador of the United States. * Employ your skills and abilities in a different setting. * Learn Tamil language. * Learn Yoga. You will stay in this cottage at Imayam School, while volunteering there. The cottage is the school library building during the day. However, it has one bedroom set aside for volunteers. Or, you can stay at the nearby Sathya Resort, which is a 3 star level hotel with amenities for westerners. Our program is 2 years old. If you are a teacher, retired teacher or any other professional, we'd like for you to teach at our charity school - Imayam High School, located near Tuticorin in a rural area. We've had teachers, and other professional women go and work there. You can teach conversational English, sewing, embroidery, patchwork quilt, chess, scrabble, painting, and other arts. If you are like to travel and see Tamil Nadu, you can do so by volunteering for 3 or more weeks at the Imayam High School, and the surrounding villages. You can go sight-seeing during the weekends. Tamil is the medium of instruction in this school, and English is their second language. The school will provide basic Tamil vegetarian meals. You can see the ancient granite temples and archaeological splendors of Tamil Nadu, during weekends. You can visit a tiger sanctuary, waterfalls (bathing kind) town, do inexpensive shopping - all just a few hours away. It costs very little to travel in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. |
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| Volunteer/Visitor Feedback: (26 visitors from the U.S., have seen our school so far) Anna Myers, A personal trainer from Princeville, HI. 96722. January 12, 2007 I had the privilege of teaching English (using the ESL techniques) to the children of Imayam High School in November 2006. They were open, respectful and eager to participate in all the activities of learning. The school administrators were very welcoming to me and coordinated programs by the children that included dance, music and "elocution". These kids are wonderful, and through the support of Kolam Charitable Foundation, they have a chance of escaping poverty. I find it difficult to describe in words how my experience in Tamil Nadu has affected my life. Every day I have new awareness about how my life is different. Imayam School consists of almost 200 beautiful children who are anxious to learn English. I am pleased to be a part of this community and encourage others to donate and help these children. |
| Vi Herbert, President, Kolam Charitable Foundation, Inc. Kilauea, HI. 96754. January 12, 2007 I went to Imayam School to see how they benefit from Kolam Charitable Foundation's donations. I found out that because of Kolam, these poor children are able to continue in school. The school which is up to 10th grade now, will be able to add 11th and 12th grade in the following years. Also, the children learn Bharatha Natyam dance, tabla drums, and Karnatic vocal music. They learn with great interest and are very anxious to escape poverty through education. Saraswathi and Ponrathi are doing an incredible job with running the school. These are the ladies who gave every penny of their pension to start the school and dedicate it as a public Trust institution. |
| Savitri Kumaran, Roselle Bailey's halau member, Kapaa, January 19, 2007 (email from Imayam School, Tamil Nadu) Dear Vi, Words can not express the overwhelming feelings we are experiencing here. First let me say that the Professor is a living saint. He is taking such good care of us and is so full of life. Saraswathi, too is a living saint. Her very being is an example to the children, and in fact everyone that visits the school. We spent the entire day there yesterday. The guest house is coming along nicely. It will be a wonderful place for volunteers to stay. Perhaps someday I will spend some time there myself! We visited the village in the afternoon. Our halau members were naturally impressed with the simple living conditions. But what is even more impressive is the way these poor children appear to value the opportunity that they have been given. Their eager faces and shining eyes are truly an inspiration. Many of us were brought to tears by their warm welcome. It is a blessing for us to be able to be here. |
| Susan Sylvan, retired teacher from Los Gatos, California, March 14, 2007 (after returning from 2 weeks at Imayam School) About teaching the students at Imayam: The students are wonderfully grateful for whatever you do. I took fluorescent index cards that were a huge hit with the students. Take pictures which students can describe and learn adjectives about. Ones from calendars are useful Also, take pictures of your own life--family members, home etc etc. If you are familiar with teaching English to students in America, the kids there are at ESL 1. I did mostly questioning skills, appropriate answers, increasing vocabulary. The food is wonderful. |
| Vi's recommendation for Weekend & Day trips COURTALLAM: (bathing in waterfalls): Beautiful lush tropical town on the foothills of the Western Ghats, the mountain range between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Rhesus monkeys jump and romp all over the place, huge banyan trees line the streets, and a sprinkle of delicate rain falls now and then. The town has very many waterfalls that you can bathe in. The ancient Tamil kings have harnessed waterfalls for people to walk up to, and bathe. Vi spent many summers in the family summer home in Courtallam. We also believe that the water runs through forests of medicinal herbs before it comes down, and so bathing in it is good for our skin. We apply oil to our skins and bathe in our saris (no bathing suits) or regular clothes as we stand and enjoy the waterfalls all day long. Men wear shorts. Belive me, it's a great experience. There are 5 waterfalls that you can go to in town, and can hike to some. There are good hikes as well. The town has lot of Ayurveda centers. Waterfalls are also very holy to our Hindu culture. It is an experience not to be missed. There are nice hotels in Courtallam. The fruits are locally grown and exquisite. You can get plenty of fresh and tasy mangoosteen, star fruit, jackfruit, bananas, etc. Best time to visit: July through October. You can go there throught the year. It will be hot in April, May and June. Plan to spend at least 2 nights and 3 days in Courtallam. Places to stay: Tamilnadu Hotel (TTDC or Tamilnadu Tourist Department Corporation) -22423 Mariyam - 23236 Saaral Resorts - (Book through nivalink.com) MUNDANTHURAI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: This sanctuary and Kalakadu wildlife sanctuary are adjoining. If you want to have a taste of the tropical rain forest and a wildlife refuge, you want to go to this tiger sanctuary. This reserve is 42 km from Tirunelveli. This reserve has tigers, leopards, elepants, sambar deer, sloth bear, king cobra, pit viper, monitor lizard, many kinds of birds, and variety of primates including the bonnet macaque, common langur, niligiri langur and lion tailed macaque among other animals. There is a huge waterfall that you can see (not the bathing kind). October – January is the best time to visit this sanctuary. Trekking can be done with permission from the Wildlife (Forestry) Department. Places to Stay: Forest Rest House, Mundanthurai – Phone 0462-5526663 (phone # for Field Director, Project Tiger) Day trips from Tuticorin or Courtallam will work, since it's quite difficult to book at the Forest Rest House. KALAKKADU WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (Tiger Sanctuary): This is a tropical rainforest sanctuary with tigers, leopards, elephants, sambar deer, flying squirrel, pangolin, wild dogs, many kinds of birds, Indian bison (gaur), sloth bear and more. This reserve is 47 kilometers from Tirunelveli. September – March is the best time to visit this sanctuary Trekking can be done with permission from the Wildlife (Forestry) Department Places to Stay: Forest Rest House, Sengaltheri – Phone: 0462-5526663 (phone # for Field Director, Project Tiger) Plan to spend at least 2 nights and 3 days here TIRUNELVELI & KRISHNAPURAM: Tirunelveli is a big town on the banks of the Tambaraparani river (copper river), and it has a very huge and nice Siva temple. The carvings are ornate, and it is a must-see site. It has musical pillars in granite and you want to tap and listen to the sounds. Tirunelveli is also a shopping town. Don't miss the Tamil Nadu Government Handicrafts Store which carries a lot of carved wood items, bronze statues, silk art, batik panels and many many more things. Also, there are very nice cloth merchants who have many varieties of silk, and cotton material. Do not miss the Tirunelveli halwa (tasty sweet), which is made fresh around 3 p.m., and is quite a treat. KRISHNAPURAM is an old and almost abandoned temple in a rural area on your way to Tirunelveli and near it. It has exquisite granite carvings, and the best that I've seen in Tamil Nadu, and yet in a very small temple in a village. On some of the statues, you can even see the blood vessels, nerves etc. Also, there is no crowd, and you can take your time in seeing the statues. A day trip is all you need to see both Tirunelveli and Krishnapuram. Leave Imayam School very early in the morning and you can get back by night fall. TIRUCHENDUR & MANAPPADU: Tiruchendur is an ancient Hindu temple, referred to Sangam Tamil books in the 2nd century A.D. It is a beautiful seashore temple, dedicated to Lord Murugan. Vaidehi's father Ganesan was managing trustee of the temple for many years and was responsible for the outside walkway structures that surround the temple. There are very many nice vegetarian restaurants. There are also decent places to stay. Manappadu (sand dunes) is an old Dutch settlement and has old churches dating 1450. It's a beautiful village with old Victorian homes, and huts along the beach. There is a cave on the beach, under the church on the hill, where St. Francis Xavier did penance and lived. The cave used to be occupied by Saivite Hindu yogis before him. There are freshwater wells along the coast and one in the cave. A day trip is all you need to see these two towns. Leave very early and return before it gets dark. CAPE COMIRIN (KANYA KUMARI): This is the tip of India, and it's a charming little town with a very nice temple dedicated to the goddess Kanya Kumari. The sunset and sunrise are two special events that you don't want to miss. Stay at a hotel on the beach. There are lot of little shops on the street and on your way to the temple to buy souveniers and gifts. There are gifts made of cotton fabric, shells, carved wood, bamboo etc. There are very nice hotels in Kanya Kumari. Do stay in Cape Comirin for at least 2 days. Also, see an old fort called 'vatta kottai' (circular fort), which is an old one. Nagercoil is a very nice nearby town and has Ayurveda centers and is good for shopping. Places to stay: Cape Hotel Tamilnadu (on the beach - TTDC or Tamilnadu Tourist Department Corporation) – 04652-4028153, email: capettdc@hotelstamilnadu.com Hotel Tamilnadu ( TTDC or Tamilnadu Tourist Department Corporation) – 04652-3471510, and 04652-3471259 Kerala Guest House (run by Kerala State Government) – 04652-3471229 Book Cape Comirin hotel stay through nivalink.com MADURAI: This is a very old town, which has been a capital for the Tamil Pandya kingdom and it has been visited by Megasthenes and Fahien, old world travellers. There is the famous Meenakshi temple in town, and one can spend a day looking at the incredible art and architecture of the temple as well as the nearby palace of the Nayakkar kings. The Nayakkar's are not Tamils, but they conquered and ruled us, and became Tamil in their culture over due course. They are a Telugu speaking group from Andhra Pradesh which is just north of us, and came and ruled Tamil Nadu for almost 2 centuries. Hike the hills of Tiruparankunram near Madurai if you can. Start early in the morning. It's a solid piece of granite rock about 1000 feet high (or more – I'm just guessing). There are no trees and it can get hot if you hike later in the sun, since Madurai is inland. Place to stay: Hotel Germanus(Best Western) Arasaradi, Madurai Hotel Germanus (Days Inn), By Pass Road, Madurai GRT Regency Book Madurai hotel stay through nivalink.com |
If interested in volunteering, email to vi@kolam.info |
| Carol Conley, a family therapist from Kauai spent a whole month at Imayam School in May, 2007. She was the first person to go and stay in the newly built cottage. Carol's words, "Saraswathi and Ponrathi are very special ladies. Saraswathi wants the children to enjoy education, and they respond well to her kindness and care. The children are very happy to be in the school. They are very eager to learn and are very well behaved. Thank you for allowing me to go and stay there. I enjoyed my stay very much. The cottage is beautiful, big and quite comfortable". |
| Leslie Blankenship, an attorney from Sonoma, California, July 20. 2007 (3 weeks at Imayam) "I thought I was going to teach the children English. However, they taught me to feel joy. These are very special children who are very eager to learn". |