B. Shanthi belongs to a well-to-do Badaga family, originally from the mountains of the Nilgiris. She has spent most of her life in Ooty. But, all through her life, she had come across several Badaga women who struggle to make ends meet.

It was in the year 2006, that homemaker Shanthi made up her mind to help such women and their families. She gathered a few like-minded people who also wanted to help fellow-Badagas, and with a team of five core members, started an NGO that reaches out to the Badaga families in their own way.

Ever since NGO Niligiris Positive Association was formed, it continues to support and help the economically weaker Badaga families. “Several members of the Badaga tribe are not educated. They continue to remain cut off from the rest of the world. The core members of this NGO visit them and interact with such families. We found out that some of them don’t even have money to buy their monthly provisions. We collected funds and supported such families,” Shanthi begins.

NGO Niligiris Positive Association has also worked closely with the Badagas who have been tested positive for HIV. Its founder Shanthi tells us that she, along with the NGOs core members, take care of the medical expenses and maintenance of such people.

Due to lack of funds, the Niligiris Positive Association is unable to work on bigger projects. Its founder tells us that her dream is to ensure that each and every Badaga family is self-sufficient.