Dhaatri - A Resource Centre for Women and Children

08/12/2025

We're thrilled to introduce our newest and youngest team member, Coco! As our Junior Vigilance and Security Officer, she's already captured our hearts and is taking her role very seriously, helping keep our office safe and secure. Join us in giving her a warm welcome!

05/12/2025

This mapping experience sparked important conversations about the changing landscape over the decades. The community is engaged in dialogues on coexistence with nature and the daily challenges they face.

This mapping experience sparked important conversations about the changing landscape over the decades. The community observed that invasive species like lantana have taken over their lands, diminishing the tubers and wild foods that once flourished in abundance.

03/12/2025

We welcomed Panna Zilla Panchayat CEO Shri Umrao Singh Maravi to Jhalarkhamariya village, to meet the Gond Adivasi community restoring their barren lands given as compensation.

We welcomed Panna Zilla Panchayat CEO Shri Umrao Singh Maravi to Jhalarkhamariya village, to meet the community restoring their barren lands given as compensation.

24/11/2025

By grounding education in natural experiences and local knowledge, we are committed to creating classrooms where curiosity thrives and every child is encouraged to explore.

By grounding education in natural experiences and local knowledge, we are committed to creating classrooms where curiosity thrives and every child is encouraged to explore.

20/11/2025

Using motorised pumps and a 400-metre pipeline, nearly 10 acres of land is now being irrigated, transforming the once rocky, unproductive terrain into fertile agricultural fields.

Gond Adivasi families are staying back in their village to nurture their land. This marks a significant departure from previous years when seasonal migration was the norm.

19/11/2025

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to connect with the team from Jagrutha Mahila Sanghatane (JMS) based in Raichur, Karnataka.

It was a truly inspiring experience, filled with meaningful conversations and valuable insights. We learnt about their impactful work supporting Dalit women’s collectives and social enterprises, driving positive change in agricultural practices, and ensuring community access to social security, healthcare, and local livelihoods.

More power to them!

10/11/2025

Dhaatri, in collaboration with The Conscious Living Store - TCLS, invites you to an experiential Hands-On Spinning Workshop on November 15. This is more than just a craft session; it's an opportunity to appreciate the effort, rhythm, and patience behind every handwoven fabric.

Why attend?
- Experience the meditative and calming rhythm of handspinning cotton
- Spend a full day engaging in craft, conversation, and connection with a community dedicated to ecological and social responsibility
- Learn about the vital work of farmers and artisans supported by Tula India, who are reviving natural cotton farming and creating sustainable, ethical fabrics.

Details:
🗓 Date: November 15, 2025
🕚 Schedule:
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Spinning workshop and discussions
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Lunch break
- 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Continue spinning practice and explore the sale of TULA garments
📍 Venue: Dhaatri, Plot No 10, Lotus Pond Colony, Tirumalagiri, Secunderabad
💰 Registration Fee: ₹500 (includes lunch and all materials)

Register in advance to reserve your spot! Contact Jahnavi at 9629784800 and send your payment screenshot.

Let's weave stories and sustainable threads together. Come spin with us!

17/10/2025

Dhaatri recently hosted "A Taste of the Wild: A Tribal Forest Cuisine Experience," celebrating Adivasi traditions, cuisine, and way of life. In collaboration with Kindness Kitchen, we showcased authentic flavours of Adivasi communities with ingredients sourced directly from their forests, including wild fruits, roots, shoots, and greens from the Nallamalas; organic pulses from Paderu; and forest produce like mahua, chironji, and palash from Panna.

These ingredients, foraged and valued by forest-dwelling communities for generations, inspired traditional recipes drawn from Adivasi culinary practices, including some from our publication "Recipes for Climate Change – Recipes for Co-Existence".

Beyond the food, the event offered a glimpse into the deep connection between Adivasi communities and their forests. Our youth from these communities shared insights into their sustainable foraging practices, cultural traditions, and the challenges they face today. The celebration culminated in a lively Adivasi Dimsa (dance).

Through this experience, we aimed to promote an understanding and appreciation of the Adivasi way of life, illustrating how food serves as a powerful medium for sharing their Indigenous wisdom, relationship with nature, and cultural identity.

21/08/2025

Our team member Swaroop Rayudu had the incredible opportunity to participate in Access Livelihoods’ Reimagine Responsible Enterprises (RRE) Fellowship. This hands-on programme focused on experiential learning, community impact, and personal growth.

Our team member Swaroop Rayudu had the incredible opportunity to participate in Access Livelihoods’ Reimagine Responsible Enterprises (RRE) Fellowship.

19/08/2025

We are assisting 43 Gond Adivasi students from six villages in Madhya Pradesh's Panna who require support for fees and necessary documentation for admission into classes 9 to 12.

We believe every child should have the opportunity to stay away from labour, and should not be held back by financial constraints or lack of documentation. It is concerning that these issues continue to hinder Adivasi children's access to learning.

We urge the government to provide the necessary support to ensure all children from marginalised communities can exercise their fundamental right to education and social security.

We are assisting 43 Gond Adivasi students from six villages in Madhya Pradesh's Panna who require support for fees and necessary documentation for admission into classes 9 to 12.

18/08/2025

Our bamboo craft sessions showcased the beauty of traditional skills as our youth educators crafted simple furniture and decorative pieces using bamboo. "These hands-on activities will not only spark creativity but also help children grasp important mathematical concepts like measurement and symmetry," shared the educators. Facilitated by Prakash from Studio Mucchatlu, the sessions inspired participants to explore sustainable craftsmanship and discover innovative ways to enrich education through nature and Adivasi tradition.

13/08/2025

On Indigenous Peoples' Day, Gond Adivasi children from Panna, Madhya Pradesh, shared their stories of struggle in accessing education.

They face discrimination, documentation barriers, long walks to school, and shoulder adult responsibilities due to distress migration caused by lack of local livelihoods. Many are forced to migrate with their parents or drop out of school to support their families battling health crises like tuberculosis.

It’s urgent: we call on officials at all levels — local, district, state, and national — to prioritise solutions such as streamlining documentation, expanding access to schools and hostels, and creating sustainable livelihoods to curb migration.

The future of these children depends on our action. Let’s unite to protect their rights, ensure quality education, and uphold their dignity.

Remember, these are just a few stories. Many Gond Adivasi children face similar challenges. Addressing these interconnected issues is the only way to bring lasting change