	Contact me	Marios Cleovoulou's Website

SOCIAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT

GRAMODHAYA RURAL INSTITUTE

Cheranmahadevi, Tamil Nadu, India

With the completion of 12 years of dedicated service in the rural areas, SCAD is gradually accomplishing its objective of bringing change and development among the most neglected people of the society.

Besides the activities in the centre, SCAD is working in 50 villages in Nellai District and in 100 villages in Chidambaranar District. Our services are mainly for the most neglected ethnic groups like the harijans ("untouchables"), gypsies, snake-charmers, scavengers, palmyrah climbers, leprosy-affected people and salt-pan workers.

SCAD's operation covers broadly three areas:

Education
Health
Community Organisation and Development

EDUCATION

	Centres	Children
Supplementary Schools	102	10500
Balwadi (Nursery schools)	21	526
Schools for gypsy children	1	170
Schools for handicapped children	1	52

Promotion of small savings and school gardening in the supplementary schools.
Leadership development training for school children.
Full involvement in 100% literacy mission in the district.

ACTION FOR BETTER HEALTH

Siddha (indigenous herbal medicine) clinic and physiotherapy unit	1
Homoeopathy clinic	1
Health Centres	4
A treatment-cum-training program for handicapped girls	33
Health care team	44
Physiotherapy for polio affected children	343
Monthly medical check up for children attending our schools	10500	children
General medical camps	Twice a month
Mobile camps in Siddha and Homoeopathy	Weekly
Eye camps	Twice a month

Other salient Health activities

Promotion of Siddha medicine in villages.
T.B. control and rehabilitation programs.
Rehabilitation of handicapped and leprosy affected persons.
Promotion of family welfare and small family norm.
Daily supply of supplemental nutrition for 431 children
Ante-natal and post-natal care.
Special care for children below 5 years in the villages.
Health education and awareness generation programmes through street theatre, video programmes, etc.
Leaf protein concentrate unit to eradicate malnutrition.

COMMUNITY ORGANISATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Mahalir mandrams (womens' associations)	108
Grama Sabhas (village committees)	15
Youth Associations	27
Farmers Associations	33
Health care team	102
Small Savings and credit associations	106

Mass literacy campaign (Arivoli Iyakkam) in Nellai District.
Promotion of consumer action on the villages.
Promotion of small savings and credit unions.

AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PROMOTION

Promotion of milk producers co-operative societies	5
Promotion of indigeous technologies low cost housing	65
Toilets	25
Borewells	42
Open wells	12
Deepening of ooranies (reservoirs) for drinking water	38
Deepening irrigation reservoirs	5
Rest sheds for salt-pan workers	14
Sunglasses to salt-pan workers	9800

Promotion of environmental protection.
Model demonstration farm at SCAD centre.
Training in farming methods and animal husbandry techniques for cattle, poultry, and goats.
Agricultural/animal husbandry consultancy.
Promotion of sericulture and mushroom cultivation.
Promotion of social forestry programmes.
Veterinary camps in the villages - upgrading of cattles in 81 villagers.

TRAINING

Education - periodical training is organised for teachers, animators, volunteers and for children.
Health - for health staff, nurses, etc.
Community Development, Agriculture & Animal Husbundry. Small savings and credit unions.

INCOME GENERATION PROGRAMMES

Two sisal body scrub units.
Training in tailoring, typing, and fibre products for the handicapped.
Training in cotton bag manufacturing.
Cane and bamboo products, small transformers, mat weaving, sea-shell craft, incense making, bakery products, etc.
Training in mushroom cultivation.
Training in sericulture.

SCAD-NIRMAN CENTRE TUTICORIN

Saltpan workers development programmes

Mahalir mandrams	86
Health centres	4
Supplementary schools	82

In order to make working conditions in the saltpans less hazardous sunglasses have been distributed to the workers and rest sheds have also been constructed in the saltpans.
Drinking water programmes in the villages, deepening the ooranies, open weel and bore wells.
Agriculture and animal husbandry promotion as alternate income generation during the off-season.
Extending help to avail other government and bank facilities.
The small savings and credit scheme has been strengthened. More than 20 lakhs (2 million) rupees has been saved by people and they are being used for availing different types of loans.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Two colonies for leprosy affected persons at Pettai and Ambasamudram benefitting 85 families. 30 houses at Pettai and 17 houses and Ambasamudram were constructed.
A formal school, health centre and a co-operative society for marketing bead chains benefitting 180 families of gypsies (Narikuravas).
A colony of 16 houses constructed for snake charmers families.
A school for the handicapped.

FARM SCIENCE CENTRE, VAGAIKULUM, VOC DISTRICT

(Sponsored by the Indian council for Agricultural Research, Govt. of India)

Training in agricultural technology.
Training in agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and plant protection for practising farmers and rural youth.
Vocational training courses for women and youth.
Establishment of national demonstration farm at Vagaikulum.
Lab-to-land programme.
Front line demonstration on oilseeds and pulses.
Distribution of agricultural input (improved varieties of seeds and fertilizers).

FLOOD RELIEF OPERATIONS

SCAD played a vital role in relief operations after the cyclone and floods in 1992 and 1993 which ravaged the villages in Nellai and Chidambaranar Districts.

Huts, houses reconstructed	1905
Small scale financial assistance. Recepient families:	1675
Medical camps and treatment	8700
People assisted to restart their agricultural and other occupations	876

GRAMODHAYA RURAL INSTITUTE

Having rural development programmes as the basis, more educational and research programmes with fully life oriented courses are planned for the future through the SCAD Gramodhaya Rural Institute. Agriculture, animal husbundry, other job oriented training courses like watershed management, social forestry, wasteland development, rural technologies, etc. are also to be started soon for the benefit of the rural youth with a long term vision. The infrastructure for the rural institute like buildings, model farms, personnel are already in place. This is an innovative rural institution for vocationalising the rural youth in the various fields of rural development.

SCAD serves as a beacon of hope to some of the most neglected groups through its policy of integrated development approach. SCAD helps the most disadvantaged persons to help themselves, not only alleviating acute problems but also providing the building blocks towards self-sustainability. SCAD is able to achieve this goal through the noble support of its collaborators, Government officials and well wishers. We sincerely express our deep gratitude to all of them.

SCAD Gramodhaya Institute
2 Salai Street
Vannarpettai
Tirunelvelli 620 003
Tamil Nadu
India

Tel: +91 (0) 462 501006/108
Fax: +91 (0) 462 501007

SCAD Cheranmahdevi
Kalakad Road
Cheranmahdevi
Nellai District 627 414
Tamil Nadu
India

Tel: +91 (0) 4634 460216/439
Fax: +91 (0) 4634 460316

Also see:
Salt of the Earth
Article for Salt of the Earth's Saltseller newsletter
3rd World Development/Appropriate Technology Projects Index

Home	About me Contact me Guestbook	Site Index
		Marios Cleovoulou's Website