Rural Development Programme Report - May 2010

The report for the activities, conducted by VKRDP, during the month of MAY 2010 is detailed below, for your kind information:

1. Through 75 Balwadis, 1,745 rural Children were nurtured. In the Balwadis, Malt, Hygienically prepared highly nutritive lunch were served, with vegetables, and evening vitamin rich cereals were provided to the children.

2. In Medicare Programme, 1,400 patients were examined and treated for various common ailments, through 15 Rural Medical Centres.

3 In 218 Samskara Vargas, 6,552 students participated. The students were taught about the values of Indian Culture, through games and lessons. The feelings of oneness are strengthened among participants, through patriotic songs and games.

4. Under Sponsor A Grand Parent Programme, 62 destitutes - old people were provided with monthly solatium, in the form of rice, dhal, oil, etc., for their livelihood.

5. With the assistance of Aravind Eye Hospital, Tirunelveli Free Eye Screening Camps were organised at three places. 416 patients were screened and 105 were operated for cataract.

6. Village level Deepa Poojas were organised in 271 temples with 10,221 women participants, who offered their prayers to God for the welfare of all people. 508 & 1008 deepa poojas were conducted as follow:

Sl.No.	Date	Place	No. of Deepas participated
1.	02.05.2010	Shencottah	446
2.	09.05.2010	Kanyakumari	891
3.	30.05.2010	Sankarankoil	970

In above 3 places before Deepa Poojas, Mathru Sammelans, Cultural Programmes, Kendra adhikaries and guests speeches followed by procession were taken place.

7. Our Vivekananda Kendra workers have collected 150 Kgs. of rice, from the people of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar Districts, under Amrita Surabhi Scheme.

8. Through various branch centres and Book stalls, Rs.20,633/- worth of literature books were sold.

9. Subscriptions for 83 Vivekavani, two patrons, two Arunachal Bhandu Parivar were collected.

10. 80 women are serving in 4 Self Help Groups in Kanyakumari district.

11. Swadhyaya Varga was organised in Paramakudi and 39 persons participated in it.

12. Yoga Varga is being conducted two places in Thoothukudi and Ramnad and 55 persons attended.

13. Four Tailoring units are functioning in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts and total attendance is 39.

14. Shivalinga Poojas were conducted at two places in Kanyakumari District and 104 members participated.

15. Durga Pooja was conducted in Peyankuzhy at Kanyakumari District, and 60 women worshipped in Devi pooja.

16. Chanting of Sri Rama Jaya Rama Mantra was held during Deepa Pooja, Shivalinga Pooja and also daily by our balwadi school children, cultural class students and during in monthly meetings by our balwadi teachers and Social Workers. Every month nearly 3,24,845 times mantras were chanted in 135 localities.

17. Swami Vivekananda Vizha was celebrated 8 places in the Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts of Tamil Nadu and 2,905 members participated in the functions.

18. Personality development camps were organized in the southern five districts of Tamil Nadu, 541 students were participated.

View of class and yoga session in Ramnad PDC camp

We have told the children that we will be visiting their homes for the monthly collection of a handful of rice every day. But in the evening the rains came and we had to abandon our visit, half way.

But Muthumari a crèche child had told her mother of our possible arrival. Muthumari’s mother came to the crèche to deliver the rice. Even a child can be thorough, prompt, and expect others to keep their words.

The children are taught good habits in the crèche. One girl went back to tell her grand mother in her childish prattle that she should get up early in the morning, brush her teeth and worship God. Her grand mother came to the crèche to report the events with great mirth and happiness.

Another child learnt a song about a squirrel bringing guava fruits. She went home, stood by her guava tree asking the squirrel there to bring a fully ripe fruit so that her grand mother’s teeth are not put to danger. Laughing, the grand lady came to report this commendable incident to the crèche.

A new child was admitted to the crèche a bit late; his name was R. Godwin Immanuel. I asked the parents “why did you not admit to him to a nutrition centre nearby?”. His mother said “the other parents praise your crèche; that is why I brought my child here not minding the distance”.

Last year two children Naveen and Angel completed their crèche course. This year their whole family came to the Kendra crèche to distribute sweets and to present an electric fan as their gift.

When I asked Dhanusha’s mother to admit her in Kendra crèche, in time, she refused to do so intending to admit her in a crèche charging a higher fee. After two months, the mother brought Dhanusha to the Kendra crèche asking us to take her daughter in. She has seen the improvement in a neighbour’s child who was studying in the Kendra crèche. She decided to let her daughter join us.

Karkuvel Raj aged three, a crèche - student went his grand -mother’s house. When his uncle was lying down asleep, Karkuvel Raj gently clapped his hands to wake his uncle up. The family members were happy at his gentle manners to arouse a sleeping person. The boy remembered the way he was woken up after his siesta in his crèche by his balasevika

One of the nurse from the Panchayat union came to our balwadi school to give A&D medicine to the students. I showed the notebook which contains the details of the tonics, the medicine for the worms in the stomach, cough and the doctor visit book. She appreciated that in the school the care taken by the teacher is more than the care taken by the parents for their children. As such the teacher acts as a mother, teacher and also a doctor to take care of the welfare of the students. She expressed her feelings that she need not come to the school by seeing all these matters. It touched my heart very much.

Deepa Pooja was held on 09.05.2010 at Kanyakumari and all the arrangements were made. Those who participate in the Pooja must bring oil for the lamp. But so many people have not brought oil. On seeing this one Mr. Kanagaraj who belong to Kottavilai immediately went to the shop and purchased necessary oil and gave it to them. Also he told me that next year he will donate one tin of oil for the deepa pooja which touched my heart.

One of the balwadi school was started at Idaichivilai under the control of Vivekananda Kendra Rural Development Programme, Valliyoor. That village people are spiritually oriented and united people. Mrs. Rajakili was the first Aya of that school and was serving there. Now her age is 60 and while filling up of her retirement application form I found that her street was Emma Calve. One of the followers of Swami Vivekananda was named as Emma Calve. The name was registered in the Government records which made me to wonder.