Contact: Krishnammal Jagannathan: 04366-275443, 275540

This is a Gandhian organization run by an octogenarian couple. They have been in this area since 1968. LAFTI’s goal is to provide homes for hut dwellers. To this end they make bricks with the help of the beneficiary. Each person wanting to build a home has to help in the brick production and construction of his house. We visited the brick-making site; they were working very diligently as the rains earlier in the month ruined a lot of bricks. There are also a lot of half-baked bricks that are unusable because the heavy rains put out the kiln.

The organization provides micro credit for purchase of cattle and houses. The organization is also involved in many small livelihood programs such as mat weaving, tailoring, computer training for men and women, masonry, carpentry, electrical and plumbing training for men. They are also involved in the preparation and sale of sambar powder, pickles, etc. However, the production is for local consumption only. They are not interested in expanding their market to make a profit. This includes making bricks and selling for profit. They are not interested in making bricks for the spate of permanent shelters to be built as it might quickly deplete their resource. They are willing, however, to produce bricks in mass scale out of the ash that Neyyveli Lignite is offering them. The Neyyveli plant is willing to send all their ash – the by-product of its processing – at no cost to the organization. This ash mixed with cement, gypsum, lime, etc., makes a mixture for brick making. These bricks use 25% less cement. The raw materials need to be mixed very well, and this procedure requires a good mixer that costs Rs. 20 lakhs.