The word ‘thamate’ is a cultural instrument of the Madiga community. The music from the instrument is considered to bring liberation, dignity, education, self-respect, social justice among the Dalit community. Keeping this in focus, the organization aims to create awareness on Education, Rights to Education, Children’s Rights, and special focus on Girl child.
How we began Thamate was established in 2006 by grassroot level activists from the Dalit community in Karnataka. This organization focuses on bringing liberation and empowerment in most marginalized sections of the rural URBAN community, the “Madigas” (manual scavengers, pourakarmika, Jadamali) and other marginalized communities. Thamate strives to provide the necessary support to address Children’s education, health, employment, shelter, water, concerns associated with manual scavenging and help Madigas find alternative work that would be instrumental in restoring their dignity. Objectives:
Where we work Thamate (Centre for Rural Empowerment), is a membership based people’s organization of the Madiga (Dalit) community. It is in Tumkur Urban and Rural, Pavagada and Madugiri Taluks. Thamate works intensively in 8 slum areas and 42 villages. It also has a volunteer base across the state of Karnataka. It has reached to more than 5000 Dalit families in Tumkur, Madugiri & Pavagada through various interventions. So far, it has addressed issues such as schools, hostels, primary health, drinking water, housing, and cast based discrimination and injustice at work place, right to social security of sweepers & manhole workers and economic exploitation by dominant castes and Hindu cast system. Our Mentors Thamate (Centre for Rural Empowerment) has received financial support from Dalit Foundation (2005-2008), SDTT Sir Dorabji Tata Trust-Mumbai, and Jamshedji Tata Trust (2009-2010). We also have received support from organisations such as Community Heath Cell (CHC) Bangalore, ISI- Bangalore, NDF- (National Dalit Forum, Hyderabad and Human Institutional Development Forum (HIDF), Bangalore to work on issued based activities such as sustainable livelihoods, comprehensive health, and building cadres for supporting Dalit Community. Thamate is the partner organization at State and National Level for organizing larger campaigns, |