Project RISHI @ UCLA
Where We Work
Vadamanappakkam is a rural village located in the Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, approximately 102 km (~2.5 hour drive) from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. The village has an approximate population of 600 households and around 5000 individuals, who are primarily Tamil-speaking. Major industries include textiles and agriculture.
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Vadamanappakkam’s closest local government is its village council, also referred to as the Panchayat. There is a primary school and secondary school in the village. The primary school is one of the 6000 model schools established by the government to serve as a benchmark for a quality standard of education in rural communities.
UCLA Project RISHI has sustained a partnership with the Vadamanappakkam community for over 20 years, initially established through our co-founder, Dr. Srivatsan, who grew up in this village. In addition to implementing various community-driven initiatives in the village, Project RISHI UCLA has established its own clinic in Vadamanappakkam, where villagers seek out healthcare. The clinic is run weekly by nurses and doctors in the village. The nearest general hospital to Vadamanappakkam is located in Ranipet which is 33 km away (~45 minute drive).
In 2024, UCLA Project RISHI expanded its work to Attrambakkam, which is located in the Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu and integrated in a cluster of smaller, diverse, and remote villages known as the “Poondi Block,” about 60 kilometers west of Chennai. Located on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Attrambakkam contains both Tamil- and Telugu-speaking populations. Attrambakkam is also home to both scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) communities, with an overall population of about 1300 individuals.
Our primary on-grounds partner and liaison in Attrambakkam is Myrtle Social Welfare Network, an NGO that has been working in Attrambakkam since 2012. Through our collaboration with Myrtle and weekly calls with our stakeholders, we work to ensure that our initiatives are culturally sensitive, community-informed, and sustainable in our partner villages.
