Reaching the Unreached (RTU) is based in Tamil Nadu, South India and works with the most marginalised people in rural communities, particularly women and children. Founded in 1978 by Brother James Kimpton, it was RTU’s work that first attracted Trust testator, Bernie O’Neill, and led to the founding of the Trust. RTU now runs many different programmes to support people in their communities, focused on education, health, housing and water.
We are currently supporting a pilot project to enable rural women to set up small business enterprises by providing business skills training courses. All those taking part are members of Self-Help Groups which women have set up in their villages so that they can save as a group, take out affordable loans for business enterprises and emergencies, and make changes in their communities. RTU has empowered women to set up over 100 groups in 29 villages with around 2,000 women members. Most of the women work in irregular and unregulated daily wage labouring work. Having been given access to loans, women set up businesses which helps improve the economic situation of their families, enables them to pay off debts to moneylenders and pay for their children’s educational expenses.
