Mr. Lukka Thurayil is Profugo’s new director at the Center of Development in Wayanad, India. Below is an in-depth interview to get up close with Lukka, his personal mission and background, how and why he is involved in sustainable community development. Profugo is excited to welcome him and we look forward to renewed efforts in working with community members, local partners, and global neighbors for a better quality of life! Can you give us a
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Mental health is already a taboo topic of discussion, even in more developed countries where there have been increased resources and conversations about it. But what about countries that barely have access to basic natural resources, like water? On top of worrying about when their next meal might come, or if they will make enough money for the week, they have to manage what is going on internally with no help. There are limited resources
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Julianna Joss is one of Profugo’s current field fellows in Wayanad, India. Julianna has been in the field since September 2019 and will be staying for another year. She’s passionate about sustainable development and grassroots community building. Prior to journeying to Wayanad, Julianna told our team she wanted to go to Wayanad because “meaningfully contributing” in regards to sustainability and social justice in “a place like Wayanad would be a dream come true.” She hoped
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Statistics show that Indian girls in regards to self-esteem, education, and independence, due to gender roles and sexism, are in a worse place than their male peers. For example, Indian adolescent girls’ self-esteem (Rao et al). The literacy rate for females in India is 65% while the male literacy rate is 82% (Rajput). According to Girls Not Brides, a collection of 1400 organizations committed to ending child marriage, “47% of girls [get married] before 18”
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Profugo actively engages women members of the Wayanad region through many programs, one of which promotes female leadership and autonomy. Corner groups are an important part of Profugo’s social initiatives because it fosters community and avenues for dialogue and feedback. Corner groups allow for families to connect in a way that creates social bonds. These groups are highly decentralized to allow for maximum participation and ensures that change starts from the bottom-up. Furthermore, the decentralization
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