.png){kind=small}
.png)
.png)
.png){kind=small}
The Journey of VOICE Trust
From a village concern to a people-powered movement
In the quiet but resilient villages of Thanjavur and Trichy districts in Tamil Nadu during the 1970s, poverty was widespread—yet rarely questioned. It was not seen as injustice, but accepted as fate. For a young man named A. Gregory, who would go on to become the Founder and Director of VOICE Trust, this passive acceptance was not enough.
In 1975, during a Societal Analysis Seminar, Gregory discovered a powerful truth that transformed his perspective: poverty is not a personal failing, but the result of systemic inequality and social exclusion.
Around the same time, A. Jecintha, now the Managing Trustee and then a student of community development, was witnessing another kind of deep-rooted injustice. In the temple town of Kumbakonam, she saw widows stripped of dignity, forced to wear white sarees, and socially isolated in the name of tradition. While others saw this as custom, she recognised it as structural violence.
From 1977 to 1984, Gregory and Jecintha worked across more than 150 villages in Thanjavur and Trichy, focusing on education, land rights, food security, and dignity for women. However, after years of sincere service, they came to a significant realisation: charity alone does not lead to transformation. Real change requires awareness, local ownership, and collective leadership.
In 1980, Gregory pursued studies in Social Leadership at the Coady Institute in Canada and travelled through several global people’s movements. These experiences shaped a clearer vision for community empowerment. In 1985, he and Jecintha formally founded VOICE Trust (Voice for the Oppressed through Integrated Community Emancipation) with a clear mission: to help people understand the root causes of their struggles and support them in leading their own development.
When trust begins, change follows
The organisation’s early efforts were simple yet meaningful. Initiatives such as after-school tuition, installation of water tanks, and youth coaching sessions helped build confidence in communities that had long been marginalised.​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
This foundation of trust enabled deeper change. When the team began conversations about widow shaming, communities listened. Within a few years, the forced custom of wearing white sarees was questioned, and four widows boldly chose to remarry, reclaiming their dignity and autonomy.
From villages to movements: Scaling with integrity
Throughout the 1990s, VOICE Trust expanded its work while staying true to its values. Key milestones during this period included:
-
Vocational training programmes for rural youth (1989)
-
Legal aid and rights awareness for landless labourers (1993)
-
A landmark child rights rally in Trichy (1994), attended by over 5,000 students and joined by IPS officer Dr Thilagavathi and Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi
In 1995, Jecintha donated 2.5 acres of land in Siruganur, near Trichy, to establish the Human Resource Development Training Centre (HRDTC). The centre became a space where women received hands-on training in organic farming, tailoring, weaving, and vermicomposting—paving the way for economic independence.
During this phase, Theodora Marjory Quintal, now the Financial Trustee, joined the organisation to strengthen internal systems and ensure financial transparency and accountability.
Sowing seeds for sustainable futures
Inspired by organic farming visionary Nammalvar, VOICE Trust began helping local farmers transition from chemical-intensive practices to ecological balance. In 2000, the organisation established Iyarkai Velaan Inaiyam (IVI), a collective that now connects over 150 eco-farming groups across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
This momentum continued. In 2021, with support from employees at Apple, Google, and Visa through the Benevity platform, VOICE Trust enabled more than 4,000 rural women to launch eco-enviro-economic enterprises. These ventures range from seed ball production and millet-based foods to mobile vegetable carts supplying fresh produce to nearby communities.
R. Meenakshi, now a Trustee, played a key role in expanding these efforts to new regions and creating market linkages for rural entrepreneurs.
Inclusion with dignity: Championing disability rights
Since 1999, VOICE Trust has been at the forefront of community-based disability inclusion in rural Tamil Nadu. In villages where families once concealed or denied the existence of children with disabilities, the organisation responded with compassion and creativity—using street theatre, trust-building activities, and therapy camps to open both hearts and local systems.
In 2010, VOICE Trust was officially recognised as a Guide Scheme Partner for rehabilitation. Since then, over 9,000 individuals with disabilities have received support, including early intervention, inclusive education, therapy services, and access to government entitlements.
This work is led by G. Janet Preethi, the current Administrator, who ensures the programme’s reach and operational strength across multiple districts.
Raising a generation of eco-stewards
.png)
.png)
In 2006, VOICE Trust established the Friendship Children’s Home in Siruganur with support from AEM (France). What began as a safe haven for 15 orphaned children has grown into a nurturing, educational, and ecologically conscious home for more than 40 children. Here, they manage gardens, attend the Sunday Agriculture School, and grow up as responsible stewards of the environment.
At the same time, the organisation launched one of Tamil Nadu’s largest eco-club initiatives in schools. Through partnerships with 609 schools, over 24,000 students have taken part in practical lessons on sustainability, climate action, and social justice—planting the seeds for a greener, more equitable future.
From relief to resilience
Whether responding to the 2004 tsunami, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the 2024 cyclone, VOICE Trust has consistently acted with compassion and structure. Each response goes beyond immediate aid and is embedded within long-term recovery efforts—such as green housing, livelihood training, women-led micro-enterprises, and psychosocial support.
A legacy of listening, learning, and leading
Today, VOICE Trust is more than a non-governmental organisation. It is a grassroots movement rooted in the lived experiences and wisdom of the communities it serves. It does not operate in the language of charity, but in the spirit of solidarity, inclusion, and ecological justice.
As VOICE Trust steps into its 40th year, it does so with a growing network, deeper impact, and one unwavering belief:
When people understand the power they hold, transformation begins. And when transformation begins, no one is left behind.
Our Impact
For nearly four decades, VOICE Trust has worked at the intersection of people, planet, and progress, creating sustainable change from the ground up. What began as a small, volunteer-led initiative has grown into a holistic movement for community empowerment, environmental restoration, and social equity.
Key Achievements
-
Supported over 12,000 small and marginal farmers to transition to organic, toxin-free agriculture—improving soil health, food security, and rural livelihoods.
-
Facilitated the formation and strengthening of more than 650 women’s self-help groups (SHGs)—fostering financial independence, entrepreneurship, and grassroots leadership.
-
Planted over 150,000 native trees and helped restore critical ecosystems through large-scale eco-conservation and afforestation efforts across Tamil Nadu.
-
Engaged over 300 schools and thousands of students through experiential learning, civic education, and youth leadership programmes focused on sustainability.