The Venkat Trust works in the village of Kovalam in the south east Indian state of Tamil Nadu, some 40kms south of Chennai. Alas, its economy does not reflect the beauty of its situation on the Coromandel Coast and most of its 7,000 inhabitants eke out a living in very poor conditions. The village relies almost entirely on fishing for its livelihood and the average wage is about £1 a day for an unskilled worker and £2.30 for a bricklayer or similar craftsman.