Kudumbam is an organisation working for sustainable rural development. Kudumbam’s main focus is to uplift small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural labours and to empower widows, single women and orphan children. The organisation’s mission is facilitating vulnerable communities working with nature through building of a multi-stakeholder partnership for agroecology, the preservation and the regeneration of native flora and fauna, to ensure a sustainable livelihood. Kudumbam is founded by Dr. Nammalvar and Mr. Oswald Quintal. The organisations main office is located in Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) with 16 employees.
Since 1990 Kudumbam runs an ecological farm and training centre in the name of “Kolunji” situated in Odugampatty village, Pudukottai district. It is a model farm showing that farming with organic methods is not only possible but a better alternative than conventional farming. The aim was that, seeing the work at Kolunji, farmers in the nearby villages would be motivated to start organic farming in their lands as well. In doing so, Kolunji would be a source of knowledge and inspiration. Today Kolunji is not only a farm but also a training centre and home to the children at Vidivelli Children’s home.
For cultivation a number of organic inputs are prepared and used at Kolunji. Cattle such as sheep, cows and birds are an important part of the nutrient circulation at the farm. The nutrients are recycled through vermin-compost. Since the farm is situated in the dry area of Pudukottai district the rain water is conserved and managed by a number of methods such as farm ponds and mounding. Another crucial part of the sustainable farming at Kolunji is production of tree seedlings and tree plantation.
