Blue Mango is located near the Kerala border of Tamil Nadu, South India. It was founded in 2001 under the not-for-profit AHM Trust as an income generating unit for impoverished rural women in the area. At that time, unemployment was high and many husbands were leaving the family unit to find work elsewhere. The incidence of AIDS was also rising because of this social dislocation. AHM Trust hired Tamar and Bruce to join in their development work. Bruce is a family physician and works in their low-income clinic. Tamar had twelve years of income generation experience from her years in India and Madagascar. She was asked to start a social business for AIDS infected women, disabled women, widows, deserted women, and those affected by extreme poverty. The goal was to help them move from a position of helplessness to a place of self worth, self confidence and financial independence.

Blue Mango’s first days were in an old silkworm shed with three women, including Rajakumari who is the Supervisor today. Katrina, Tamar’s sister came from the U.S. to oversee the program while Tamar started Blue Mango’s Re Shop in the tourist town of Kodaikanal. Later, Katrina founded The Red Persimmon, and sold Blue Mango products through her business in Eastern Market, Washington D.C. A break came when Blue Mango was chosen out of many applicants to be gifted with a sizable portion of an inheritance fund. This money was used to construct their first building. Later Marian Dean Foundation from the U.K. funded another building extension as well as a van to pick up women from the villages. Individual donations have helped to expand the program even further. Today Blue Mango is completely self sufficient.

Blue Mango Trust is now registered under its’ own name. Between 50-60 women find training and employment through Blue Mango. Although unemployment situation in the area is less of a problem due to the influx of many large mills, Blue Mango Trust continues to have a major role to play. Women who carry the stigma of being abandoned or widowed find a safe haven here. Disabled women count for one-third of the Blue Mango women. Women who have no work experience are given free training and a chance to earn their own livelihood.

Blue Mango is located in Tamil Nadu, India between Dharmathupatti and Silamarathupatti, approximately 5 km from the regional town of Bodinayakanur in Theni District. Bodi Taluk has a population of 150,000. Half of the people live in the town of Bodi and the rest in the surrounding villages.

Geographically, the region is in a broad valley in the rain shadow of the Cardamom Hills. Due to the falling water table and failure of subsequent monsoons, many farmers are unable to make a living. Life is difficult for people dependent on work as seasonal agricultural laborers, and many villagers have a marginal existence. As a result, a growing number have become migrant laborers in the hills of Kerala and work under difficult conditions in remote plantations. Others have moved to the mill towns in central Tamil Nadu looking for work. The subsequent displacement has led to a number of social problems including the breakdown of the family and the spread of HIV AIDS.

Culturally, the surrounding valley has long been home to refugees from various social upheavals in southern India. Because of this, a large number of villagers are Kanada speakers, having migrated from Karnataka several hundred years ago. Another section are Telegu speakers from Andhra. Tamil is the link language and English is generally poorly understood.

The villagers follow traditional customs and the majority are Hindu with a scattering of Muslims and Christians in the larger towns. In line with the guiding philosophy of AHM Trust, Blue Mango welcomes people of all religions and seeks to honor the traditions of all who have come together here.

Women who work at Blue Mango come from approximately a 10 kilometer radius. Recent expansions of large mills in the district, rampant inflation, and an erratic power supply have presented new challenges to Blue Mango.