Friends of India has announced the opening of a local office in Chennai, state capital of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. The move comes after a decade of providing support to education and livelihood development projects in Tamil Nadu. Working with local partners and social entrepreneurs, the Friends of India supports programmes that offer basic education to underprivileged children – particularly girls – and training and livelihood development to women.

Speaking to the media in Chennai on 25 February 2010, FOI Founder/President Pamela Walsh said that opening the office would help the Swiss-based organization to expand its work and increase its involvement with local partners and other organisations.*

She added: “Friends of India has a long track record of success providing support to needy women and children. I have seen how programmes we support are changing the lives of women. They are more aware of their rights, more confident and have higher expectations from life. We are gratified to see that women are able to get jobs after receiving training from our partners.”

Pam Walsh has been in the Chennai area since the beginning of the year, evaluating projects funded by Friends of India. “One of the highlights for me,” she said, “has been my visit to the newly established Richard Walsh School of Music in memory of my late husband, and seeing the joy brought to the lives of these underprivileged blind children by learning music and the performing arts.” The project is run out of the School for the Blind in Amalarakkini.

Praveena Paul, Director of new Friends of India Chennai office

Friends of India treasurer, Ted Talbot, commented on the major challenge of raising money for ongoing costs associated with some of their projects and stated “I am really excited about the enthusiasm and commitment of our new local Trustees and the role this office can play in providing the opportunity for support by local businesses and individuals.”

The Trustees of Friends of India, India are Dr N. Sivagnanam, Mrs. Doreen Bernard and Mr. J.P. Kiran. The office will be run by Mrs. Praveena Paul, who has been working as a volunteer with Friends of India for many years and who was named Director of the FOI Chennai office in January, 2009.

25 February 2010

*Friends of India works with:

CARDT: Coastal & Rural Development Trust
SUEB: Society for the Upliftment of the Economically Backward
TNF : Tamil Nadu Foundation