Community Life

“My GPS journey that started in 2009 has uplifted and nurtured the life of my family members. Thank you GPS!”

- Dhanam, GPS staff and mother of three GPS students

With the opening of GPS in 2009, life in the community has transformed, as people have been able to organize around their children and the school.

VILLAGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 2020 ( GPS )

Increasing availability of employment, education, healthcare and other support has given families the opportunity to save and invest in their homes and nurture the community over time.

Take a tour of the community through the eyes of the grade 9 class, who documented their lives in Look At Us. To purchase Look At Us, please contact us.

“A villager sits on the side of the street on a Sunday morning in Chettipalayam, watching people walk by.” Kowshika. B

“A man of Kalaignar Nagar playing with his pet goat in the early hours of a Saturday morning. While they were playing, the goat became defensive and tried to protect itself by jumping in the air at the man.” Charles Finny. T

“Poornitha is reading her math book. Hari Haran wakes Shakthi while he reads his GK book. They’ll share their bed with each other in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore. They are brothers and sisters.“ –Karthika. S

“A girl in her house has her hair braided by her mother. She is getting ready for school in Kalaignar Nagar.” –Charles Finny. T

“Hindu women practice Rangoli to add beauty to their homes. Rangoli is made from rice powder and starts with symmetrical lines and dots. From there, women can pick colours and make their own designs.” –Narmatha. N

“Muthusamai is the best bicycle repairman in the village of Chettipalayam. His house is also his bicycle repair shop, and is open every day from 7:00 a.m. until close at 6:30 p.m.” –Sanjay Rajan. M

“A customer buys biscuits at a grocery stand in Chettipalayam for five rupee each. They sell common household objects and foods for cheap. There are five shops like this one in Chettipalayam.” –Sanjay Rajan. M

“Two women in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore, paint their house for Pongal, a Hindu festival that celebrates harvest. They paint their house so that it will be clean when they pray to their God for the upcoming year." –Santhosh. S

“Drum makers preparing for the Hindu festival Thaipoosam. They celebrate on the full moon of January. They pray to their god Murugan, while beating their drums and dancing.” –Shrihari. B

“The man and woman were married January 2018 in Anna Nagar settlement, Tamil Nadu. After marrying in the mosque, the bride and groom go back to their homes to celebrate with relatives.” –Harish Kumar. R

“The Christian people of Kalaignar Nagar worship God in church on Sunday morning. They come together for prayer in the one church in Kalaignar Nagar.” –Charles Finny. T

“An auto driver waits for passengers on a Sunday morning in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore. Autos are inexpensive to use and are common in villages. Up to 10 people can sit inside them.” –Saveetha. L

“A man carries brown sugar to sell in Chettipalayam village.”

“Karthika washes her entryway in Chettipalayam, Coimbatore. Women mix water with cow dung and turmeric. The mixture is believed to be anti-bacterial and repels mosquitoes” –Madhu Bala. P

“A tailor in his own shop in Chettipalayam. He is taking a measurement to stitch a piece of clothing. He stitches pants and shirts, for three hundred rupee each.” –Mohanalakshitha. V

“The red cotton saree hangs from the Neem tree and cradles Dhanshika, an 8-month baby girl. Her sister kisses the baby as she sleeps, in Anna Nagar, Coimbatore.” –Bhuvaneshwari. P

“Saraniya plays with her goat and takes care of it at home in Kalaignar Nagar settlement. She loves her goat because the goat gives milk. She tells me we should love the goat because it nourishes us.” –Mahalakshmi. K

“Women collect cooking water from the borewell tap in Anna Nagar settlement. The tap turns on every day at 4:00 p.m. It is half a kilometre away, and each house gets four pots of water.” –Bhuvaneshwari. P

“A man collects old newspapers and plastics to bring to a shop. 1kg of goods is worth 9 rupee. The used goods are sold to the plastic company, who recycles them. Old newspapers are made into firecrackers.”

“GPS student Kanipandi is dressed by his mother in weekend clothes, while his father is asleep one Saturday morning.” –Mahalakshmi. K

“A woman is cooking breakfast for her family inside the courtyard of her house in Chettipalayam.“ –Narmatha. N

“Two ladies cut corn crops in their farm. Corn farms are very common around Chettipalayam. The corn is sold to shopkeepers in town, and the rest of the crop is sold for cow feed.” –Saveetha. L

“One day, I saw six small puppies in the forest. I took the puppies and brought them home. I gave five puppies to my friends and kept one puppy for me. My dog’s name is Bubbloo. She is 10 years old.” –Akash Praveen. G

“Moses, a boy in standard six at GPS, is throwing stones at a 130-year-old fruit tree. He is trying to knock down tamarind, the fruit. He will bring the tamarind to his mother to cook in a curry.” –Akash Praveen. G

Community Life

“My GPS journey that started in 2009 has uplifted and nurtured the life of my family members. Thank you GPS!”

Welcome back,