Our Story
Patients at Dora Scarlett’s clinic in the 1970s
From a simple clinic to grassroots action - we support our partners to uplift lives in Theni district ​​​​
We are, at heart, an organisation of people in the UK who have forged a special connection with partner organisations in one small corner of India – Theni district in Tamil Nadu.
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​​​VST was founded in the 1970s to support health work that Dora Scarlett started in near Theni in southern India. Over time this evolved to support other grassroots partners in the locality.
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Our partners helped build the women’s self-help group movement in Theni district and took up work with tribal people and the disadvantaged Arunthathiyar community.​​
Our Values
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​​​​Focus on marginalised communities that experience discrimination and deprivation​
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Work with community organisations such as women’s self-help groups and children’s clubs​
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Aim to empower people so that they can address their problems themselves​
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Seek to uphold people’s rights such as those in India’s Domestic Violence Act, the Right to Education Act and the Forest Rights Act (for tribal people)
"Belief in the value of the individual is our justification for trying to help all those in need."
Dora Scarlett's letters, 1974-1994
Our inspiration
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Dora Scarlett was an English woman who in 1962 started Seva Nilayam, a rural clinic in Theni district giving free healthcare to all in need of it. ​
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Seva Nilayam soon gained a reputation not only for effective treatment but also for its compassionate care, welcoming even the poorest and most marginalised. For Dora, the poor were always the focus, and providing free treatment was essential—without it, they would never attend.
Seva Nilayam attracted global interest, with volunteers coming from the US, Australia, Sweden, and Britain, and funding support from Switzerland, Denmark, Australia, the US, and Britain.
For 20 years Dora Scarlett wrote a newsletter every two months to her friends and the supporters of her clinic. Elegantly written, there are more than 100 letters offering a thoughtful insight into Indian rural life of 40-50 years ago
"Love Made Visible: The Life and Work of Dora Scarlett" by Caroline Walker is an account of Dora's extraordinary life.
