Bedgudde pattern transforming the face of villages

There are many villages in India that can’t even imagine the basic facilities such as water, education, road and health. To bring all these villages on the track of development, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) constituted Gram Sadak Yojana (village development scheme). Under this scheme, more than 60 villages in Mangalore, Shimoga and Tumkur regions have been transformed.

The foundation of the scheme was laid in 1995. It was decided to pay a due consideration towards the basic facilities that are required in a village such as food, education and health. It was also decided that the funds and other infrastructure will also be raised by the villagers itself. After the completion of this stage of development project, the other projects such as social education, public hygiene, social values, social prosperity, social security and social equality were also attached.

Bedgudde village in Karnataka that is attached to Kerala border has become an ideal village because of the implementation of all these projects.

Social education: Thevillage has two primary schools and one high school. It also has two Government Aanganwadis. Books, uniforms and school bags are provided free of cost to economically backward students. The pass percentage has been raised from 80 to 90 per cent. All the youths under 35 years of age are literate. Students participate enthusiastically in the cultural programmes. Van Mahotsav is organized in the village since last three years. Water conservation work has now also been initiated.

Public hygiene: An awareness campaign about maintenance of public hygiene was initiated. A lavatory was constructed in each and every house. Health and blood donation camps are also organized. A list of regular donors has been prepared. Saplings of medicinal herbs have also been planted.

Social values: To impart social values, activities such as Balgokulam, Matru Mandali, Satsang and bhajans are organized regularly. A positive impact of these programmes on society has been witnessed. This has created a sense of brotherhood and mutual co-operation among villagers. In the courtyard of every house, a Tulsi sapling has been planted. Activities such as drinking, smoking and gambling are hardly to be found.

Social prosperity: Total six self-help groups operate in the village among which two are run by men while four are managed by women. These groups have 78 members. These groups also run shops along with business.

For farming purpose, animals as well as human labour is utilized. Organized farming is being encouraged. Repair work of roads, temples and schools is undertaken by villagers themselves. Rain water is harvested in about 20 per cent of the houses.

Social equality: Untouchability is not at all practiced in the entire village. Nobody sells cow to a butcher. A security committee has been formed that looks after the well being of the village.

Some of the other villages also have the same story.

Konje

This village is situated in the mountainous region outside Mangalore city. Mangalore University headquarter is also located here. RSS shakha is regularly held in the university.

The village has a majority of labourers. Two temples and a community hall have been constructed. While constructing these, only the building material was purchased. A bridge was built. Five km long road was also constructed. Village lake was completely cleaned. Villagers helped in repairing the houses of economically backward people.

After the public worship programme, a feast is organized. Youths of the village have saved cows from the clutches of butchers a plenty of times.

Nitte

With the co-operation of Nitte Shiksha Nyas and Justice K S Hegde Foundation, development works are carried out in the village. Under ‘Nerekare Kshem Project’ a group of 10 to 15 houses is constituted. One person is chosen from the group and is made self reliant. Senior karyakartas look after this group.

The village has a provision for education right from Aanganwadi up to the college. After class 10, there is a provision for providing self employment training to youths in various trades. 34 girls of north-eastern region are receiving education free of cost here.

By the co-operation of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, farmers are trained in organic farming. Training is also provided for the production of ‘Shree Satyam’ paddy that consumes quite a low amount of water.

Thakkate

The village has a provision for education up to college level. Initially, the drop out percentage was 25 which has now reduced to just five. The passing percentage has elevated from 65 to 75. In private schools, it has increased to even 95%.

Most of the people opt for Ayurvedic treatment. A list of 50 blood donors has been prepared. 55 women self-help groups have been constituted consisting of about 400 members.

Kodmannu

This village that falls under Bantwal tehsil was too much backward. Bidi manufacturing and agriculture are the major occupations here. Agricultural activities have been boosted through the help of self-help groups. Paddy and coconut are the major crops. Farmers have a greater inclination towards organic farming. Over 25% of farmers possess cows of Indian breed.

Arala

This village has 76 self-help groups with over 800 members. Over 50 per cent farmers opt for organic farming. There are three milk societies of which one is run by women. Farmers’ congregation is organized from time to time so as to discuss the farming activities.

The village temple has been renovated. For this, groups of villagers with five members in each group worked for about 7 days. For raising funds for this noble work, a fistful of food grains was collected from each house. 

Balgokulam: indivisible part of Kerala’s cultural, social life

Cultural pollution has become a great cause of concern for the entire world. The problem has been greatly rectified in India, which was once regarded as the cultural hub. People have started forgetting their glorious history and are developing apathy towards their own culture. As a result, our character has also become unstable.

Today, man has started losing values from his personal as well as social life. Because of this erosion of values, we are feeling gripped by depression, confusion and conflicts. No person or society or nation is safe now. Hence the demand for creating awareness about the revival of culture in the society is now gaining ground. In order to inculcate cultural values among children, Kerala’s Balgokulam has put a step forward in this direction. Today, Balgokulam has become an indivisible part of Kerala’s cultural and social life.

Swami Vivekanand had said that education is the manifestation of the perfection already present in man. Following the path shown by Swami Vivekanand, teachers at Balgokulam are working day and night to induce our culture, values and traditions among students along with the modern education. Children can acquire all type of knowledge. After acquiring knowledge, these children test that knowledge on the anvil of their values and become capable to apply it in their day to day life. Such knowledge proves beneficial for them, their family and also for their bright future. This is the main ideology of Balgokulam.

Balgokulam has a unique working method. Here, a teacher is called Rakshadhikari. He is the guardian of the students. The teacher and the students have a weekly gathering. In this 1.5-hour-long gathering, children sing bhajans, songs, recite Bhagavadgita and narrate inspirational and moral stories. They play various types of games. They have a discussion on various issues in Sanskrit and Malayalam. They present various cultural programmes and also perform Yogic exercises. This helps in inculcating cultural and spiritual values among children. They gain confidence by acquiring stage daring. Communication also increases and thus the bond of love gets tightened.

Apart from this weekly gathering, they also gather for celebrating various festivals. In this festival gathering, along with the Balgokulam members, others can also participate. This helps parents to view the overall progress of their children. The concept of “Matru devo bhava, pitru devo bhava, acharya devo bhava” is the backbone of Balgokulam and the members of Balgokulam work with full dedication to fulfill this objective.

Lord Shri Krishna is the ideal of Gokulam. Lord Krishna is worshipped as a symbol for love, trust, courage, honesty and as a source of inspiration for eradicating all type evil from the society. Hence the classes begin with the traditional prayer of lord Krishna and end with the recitation of Shanti Mantra.

History of Balgokulam

The seeds of Balgokulam were sown through the moral stories that were published in a weekly magazine that was published from Kerala in 1950. The impact of those stories was so strong that in the beginning of 1970, many centers of Balgokulam started blooming in Kerala. Chief Editor of Kesari M A Krishnanji extended full co-operation in establishing Balgokulam centres. Renowned poet Kunjuni Master, Mali, N N Kakkad also gave a massive support.

In 1977, in Kozhikode, Balgokulam arranged shobhayatra for the first time on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami. For the residents of Kozhikode, this was a marvellous experience. The shobhayatra that comprised of thousands of students and their parents, passed through all major parts of the city. Students were singing bhajans of lord Krishna while walking through the streets. Keeping in view the importance of this huge cultural event, State Government has now started declaring a complete holiday on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Balgokulam became a state-wide organization in 1980 and its first convention was organized in Guruvayoor. The convention was graced by the august presence of renowned poet and educationist Akkitam. Next year, in 1981, the children of Balgokulam were registered under nation-wide children’s cultural movement.

Impact on Kerala’s social life

Soon, the impact of Balgokulam started growing. Various names of lord Krishna are now visible on the houses and also in various organizations. Based on the life of lord Krishna, films, private albums were also produced. The image of lord Krishna also started reflecting in literature, art and the media. The sign of ‘Om’ which is a symbol of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ is now visible on almost all houses. Children now express gratitude towards their parents and teachers. They respect them. The significance of saffron flag has increased. The consumption of cow meat is also reduced. Bhagvadgita and its message is spreading widely. The importance of Kerala’s Vishu festival started increasing. Now, Vishu greeting cards are also available in the market. Shrikrishna Jayanti Utsav has now become popular. Malayalam ‘panchang’ is now used in the houses. Balgokulam has really brought a a cultural revolution in Kerala.

Contact
Balagokulam
Madhava Smruthi
Chithra Lane,
Aluva 68 31 01
(Kerala, India)
E-Mail : mail@balagokulam.net
Tel : +91 484 2622628, 2538880

How to reach
By air: Cochin International Air port, is just 15 km from the town center and thus Aluva is the most nearest town from airport. Regular domestic and international connections are available from the airport.
By train: Aluva railway station (IR Code: AWY) in the town, is the second largest railway station in Kochi UA after Ernakulam South. All passengers, express trains bound to southern Kerala do have a stop in this station.
By road: Rajiv Gandhi Central Bus Station is one of the largest bus terminals in Kochi UA. Regular private and KSRTC bus connect from all parts Kerala to this station. Apart from this, daily passenger bus of Karnataka RTC and Tamil Nadu’s SETC do connect from places like Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem, Palani, Kodaikanal etc.
Privately operated inter-state buses to Bangalore, Chennai, Mysore, Mumbai etc do have stops in various points of Aluva town.

Amera gets facelift due to Seva Bharati efforts

Amera village situated in the remote mountainous region of Chhattisgarh has now become self sufficient in the aspects of education, health and employment because of the effective implementation of development projects by Seva Bharati. Seva Bharati karyakartas have saved this village from getting caught into the ugly clutches of Christian missionaries who earlier used to take disadvantage of the illiteracy prevalent among villagers for fulfilling their evil intention of conversion.

The conversion process had started in the nearby villages under the camouflage of seva. Understanding the gravity of the problem, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh karyakartas and social worker Phulchand Jain opened Vanavasi Ram Primary School for imparting value-based education to the villagers and thus began the work of saving villagers from the influence of Christian missionaries.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh shakhas are now regularly held in morning as well as in the evening. From last five years, prabhat pheris are also being regularly organized. Every Tuesday, Ramayan recital and discourse is held by Ramayan Mandali. Dharm Raksha Sena has been constituted in the village. Bolbum Samiti is constituted for holding 200-km-long padayatra from Amarkantak to Kawardha during which jalabhishek is performed at Boodha Mahadev to mark the conclusion. Festivals such as Ganeshotsav and Navaratri are celebrated with religious fervour. Earlier, such kinds of programmes were not held here. Instead, Christian missionaries used to organize prayers at these places.

Conventional methods of farming are practiced. Crops such as maize, paddy, sorghum, etc are primarily cultivated. Women self help groups have been constituted for economical upliftment of women power. Under Ramkothi scheme, food grains are stored so that it can satisfy the need of poor brethren. Under the guidance of Baiga Ashram, cow urine (gomutra) is collected from a number of houses for manufacturing Kamdhenu ark and eco-friendly pesticides and thus a large amount of employment has been provided to village youths who earlier used to just wander in the village or migrate to cities in search of work. Villagers have been given training regarding this work and at present, the manufacturing work is going on in full swing at many houses. Tendu leaves, firewood, etc is also collected by these villagers and sold in the market so as to earn their living.

There is no place for racial discrimination in the village. All brethren live together with a feeling of mutual co-operation and celebrate their religious as well as family functions with enthusiasm. All of them eat together during public functions. With the co-operation of villagers, sapling plantation programmes are undertaken from time to time and the digging work of pond has also been accomplished.
Earlier, the village was completely in the grip of illiteracy. The stream of education has now spread in the entire village and children are availing education from class one to twelve. With a view that no one should remain illiterate, various projects are implemented effectively in the village. One girl who has passed the class 10 examination is running an anganwadi centre for educating villagers. Mahavir Baiga Ashram and Navasiram Higher Secondary School are also nurturing the sapling of education. Over 100 tribal girls are studying at Vanavasi Kanya Ashram.

Annual health check-up of villagers is conducted by Bharatmata Seva Samiti and treatment is provided on every Sunday. Conventional herbal medicines are also utilized in treatment. There is a complete ban on intoxication. Disputes are sorted out in the village itself. There is hardly any scope for court cases and police investigation. Now, the nearby villages are also being greatly influenced by this transformed face of Amera.

Contact
Sewa Bharati, ‘Matruchhaya’
Vishram Ghat Commitee Trust
Swami Ramtirth Nagar, Hoshangabad Road
Bhopal – 46 20 11
(Madhya Pradesh, India)
Phone : 0755-2559597, 0755-2574594
Fax : 0755-2565185
E-mail : swbharti@sancharnet.in

How to reach
Amera village is situated at a distance of 40 km from Kawardha. State transport buses are available for going from Kawardha to Amera.
By air: The nearest airport is Raipur Airport that is connected to some of the main cities such as Bhopal, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad and Kolkata. Taxi is the easiest way to reach the town of Kawardha.
By train: The closest railway station is located at Bilaspur, which is located at a distance of 125 km from Kawardha. The place is connected to Chennai, Pune, Tirupathi and some other places in the state.
By bus: State transport buses ply from Bilaspur and Raipur to the town of Kawardha. The travel time will take around two hours.

Ahilya Mahila Mandal empowering women

Ahilya Mahila Mandal was established in 1997 with a view to provide self employment to women so as to make them self sufficient. For any nation to succeed, empowerment of women is necessary. A woman grooms the child so that he or she becomes a responsible citizen of tomorrow. Mother is the first teacher of a child. Women empowerment holds a special importance in India whose history is largely influenced by great women like Jhansi ki Rani.

Earlier, the work of Ahilya Mahila Mandal began with the production of snacks (Chakli) flour. Then the organization started provided training in tailoring. The authorities of Hetavane Dam Project also requested the centre to run a primary school in their colony and thus the work started gearing up. At present, 90 members jointly bear the responsibility of the mandal and about 40 women are the field workers. The work of the organization is now growing by leaps and bounds. A variety of projects are now run by the mandal such as :

1) Mukti Vidya Mandir: Even after several years of Independence, the tribal population is still deprived of education. In order to enlighten the tribal masses, a primary school was started at Hetavane village in 1997. The village is located at about 8 km distance from Pen. At present, the school runs two kindergarten classes and four government recognized classes from standard one to four with a total number of 190 students. In 2004-05, one of the students stood first in the scholarship examination in Raigad. This itself indicates the hard work which the teachers have put in.

2) Swad Bharati: Health is wealth that depends upon good food. In order to provide quality food to the students studying in hostels as well as the bachelors, homely mess Swad Bharati was started in 1999. Students who come from far flung places to the town and bachelors who come in search of work do not feel homesick now!

3) Swayamsiddha: In order to focus on all round development of women, Swayamsiddha centre was established in 1996. The centre provides self-employment training in the areas such as tailoring, painting, weaving, clay-modelling, Ganapati making, etc. Till now, over 300 vanvasi (tribal) women have received training here.

4) Maher (mother’s house): Nowadays, working women hardly get time for preparing snacks at their home. Instead, they prefer to buy readymade food products. At Maher centre, that was established in 1996, various food products such as pickles, snacks, sweets, etc are manufactured. This saves a lot of time as they get quality food at cheaper price to suit all the festival occasions.

5) Counselling Centre: This centre was established in 1997 so as to give legal advice to women regarding marriage problems. So far, eight couples owe their happy married life to this centre. Five alcoholics have quit drinking. The centre has also helped poor girls to get married.

6) Sanjeevan Ashram: In order to take care of old men, Sanjeevan old age home was opened in 2003. Elderly people who stay here have an immense treasure of knowledge that can be tapped and effectively utilized for the growth of the organization.

7) Dr Ghate Health Centre: Generous relatives of Dr Gajanan Vinayak Ghate donated his house which now also serves as the house and office for the old. The centre was established in 2004. Poor patients are treated by charging nominal fees. Yashoda Pathology Lab also helps in the diagnosis.

8) Indira Sanskrit Pathshala: Sanskrit is regarded as the mother of all languages but still it is neglected. At Indira Sanskrit Pathshala, a special knowledge of performing various rituals is provided in addition to the school curriculum. At present, about 100 students of various age receiving education here.

9) Nataraj Nrityalaya: At this dance academy, classes are held once/twice a week so as to provide training in Katthak dance. Nearly 60 women have learnt classical dance in the camps that are arranged regularly.

10) Swanand Sanskar Varg: At this cultural training class that is held every evening, children play, climb trees and live life to the fullest by enjoying themselves. A proper justice is provided to their childhood which is hardly to find nowadays. Nearly 80 kids enjoy this activity. Snacks are also provided to them once a week.

Apart from all these projects, an yearly get together for women is also organized. Around 500 women take part in this programme and about Rs 10,000 are spent to provide them with breakfast, dinner and a small memento.

Hostel for students of Sanskrit Pathshala; expansion of Sanjeevani Ashram; playschool for children; blood bank; ladies hostel; cottage industry; mobile dispensary and school for the handicapped are some of the future projects on anvil.

Contact
1) Smt Vasantitai Deo
Dr Ghate Wada, Ziral Ali
Pen, District Raigad, Pin 40 21 07
(Maharashtra, India)
Telephone no: 02143-256718/255172
2) Seva Sahayog Foundation
1st Floor, Pitruchaya, S. H. Paralkar Marg,
Shivaji Park, Dadar (West), Mumbai 40 00 28
Tel. 24446094, Fax. 24456000, Mobile: 9833994754
E-mail: sevasahayog@yahoo.in

How to reach
By road: Pen is located approximately 80 km from Mumbai. It can be reached from Panvel (30 km away) by the Mumbai-Goa Highway (NH-17) or from Mumbai-Pune Expressway by Khopoli-Pen State Highway (25 km away from Khopoli).
By railway: Pen station lies on Konkan Railway. Most long distance trains do not stop at Pen, however a local train service running from Diva to Ratnagiri can be used to reach Pen.
By air: Nearest air port is at Mumbai.

Adamya Chetana’s Annapoorna mid-day meal scheme

Food, clothing and shelter are the three basic needs of a human being among which food holds prime importance. Food is the fuel for effective functioning of our body and if this requirement is not satisfied, life becomes miserable. A large section of Indian society is still deprived of this basic requirement and has to struggle hard just for a piece of chapatti. With a view to provide nutritious food to the school children belonging to underprivileged section of society, Smt Girija Shastry Memorial Trust, under its Adamya Chetana Project, has initiated Annapoorna mid-day meal scheme that reaches over 2 lakh children in thousands of schools across Bangalore, Hubli, Gulbarga and Jodhpur.

The nutritious tasty meals are hygienically prepared at well-equipped kitchens set up specially for this project. The meals are packed in stainless steel containers and distributed to schools in customized vehicles. The teachers and volunteers serve the hot meals in schools. The meal varies everyday- rice and sambar, curd rice, pongal, bisi-bele-bhaat, sweet pongal, daal, roti, daliya, etc. The inclusion of daal, vegetables, jaggery, condiments makes the meals nutritious. When the food is cooked for thousands, each and every penny counts. For Adamya Chetana, the huge numbers have been converted to students’ advantage. Costs have been brought down, thanks to economies of scale. Voluntary participation has further reduced the costs. Annapoorna has brought down the per meal cost to less than Rs 2 (excluding rice/wheat). The children, therefore, receive a variety of good quality meals.

Annapoorna has created unique processes for preparing and delivering hot mid-day meals to thousands of children across hundreds of schools. Maintaining high standards of safety and hygiene every single day, getting feedback about quality, quantity, taste and time of delivery from every school are distinctive features that have made Annapoorna a unique brand in the minds of the socially concerned. This feedback forms the basis of continuous process and product improvement, which is the hallmark of Annapoorna. A quality lab assists in maintaining the quality parameters that are critical for a mid-day meal programme.

When eight tonnes of rice get cooked in four hours, when four tankers of sambar roll out before the lunch hour has begun, when two tonnes of vegetables get washed, cleaned and cut by 70 pairs of hands, when 250 kgs of masala tingle the taste buds of thousands of children, when 3000 stainless steel vessels jostle for vehicle space, when 1000 coconuts provide nutritious supplement in the sambar, when 30 vehicles carry wholesome food to 300 schools in busy Bangalore traffic, it’s been a continuous challenge and a great learning also. The trust is successfully using non-conventional eco friendly technologies like gasifiers for cooking, plastic free packing and chemical free ingredients in cooking. These add value to the process and promote these practices. All the above has been achieved by managing a delicate balance of budgets, time and operations.

However, the money holds a nuclear position in running such schemes. Therefore, donations are welcome from philanthropist donors for making the drive more effective.

Contact
Adamya Chetana (Smt Girija Shastry Memorial Trust)
Head Office, No 84, Ranoji Rao road,
Basavanagudi
Bangalore, 56 00 04
(Karnataka,  India)
Phone no: 080 26568483

How to reach
By air: Bangalore International Airport is 40 km away from the heart of the city.
By train: Bangalore Majestic, Bangalore Cantonment (8 km to Majestic) and Yeshwanthpur (10 km away from Majestic) are the three main stations in Bangalore. Bangalore Majestic is connected to all major cities in India.
By bus: KSRTC buses connect all cities in Karnataka to Bangalore. Many super deluxe buses are also available to Bangalore from Hyderabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa and Mysore.

Aata Paatha’ revolutionizes school education

For children belonging to economically backward sections of the society, normal childhood activities like messing with paints and colours, sketching with colourful pencils and crayons, playing with modeling clay, creating images on a computer screen, are all luxuries. Adamya Chetana’s Aata Paatha project has made it possible for these children to do all these and more. Aata Paatha- the words conjure up images of happy children having fun while learning. This is the very concept of this unique mobile resource centre that was started in the year 2003.

Aata Paatha reaches schools in a colourfully painted van. The van has a computer that enables audio-visual presentations. There are comfortable seats inside the van where children can sit. A couple of teachers accompany the van. These are talented young women who love working with children. They are able to match the boundless energy that the children have.

Aata Paatha caters to children from classes I to VII. The programme is in synergy with the curriculum prescribed by the government. The children, therefore, learn their lessons in funny ways – singing, dancing, acting, story-telling, audio-visuals and through learning aids.

A healthy mind in a healthy body is achieved through games and yoga. Children get the advantage of using sports equipments that their schools are unable to provide. Traditional games like kabaddi, gilli- danda, kho-kho, games that help in mind-body coordination are all included. These, of course, help them to not only get physical exercise but also help them to learn a lot of social and inter-personal skills. Sharing, waiting for ones turn, strategizing to win, coping with losing, and so on.

One of the most popular modules has been the Aata Paatha cassettes. The cassettes contain songs and stories from the textbook set to tunes that are irresistible. One is forced to learn them. Many popular Kannada singers and musicians, people from the field of literature and so on have lent their time, their expertise and their voices to this exciting and tremendously successful venture.

There is a tremendous value addition for teachers too. The programme urges them to have a look at the innovative ways in which to reach out to their students. Students learn using all their five senses. The programme shows them how to make the process of learning more effective. It helps them recognize the multiple intelligences available in the group and to nurture them.

Aata Paatha began in Bangalore. The concept caught on and Adamya Chetana facilitated the genesis of the programme in Hubli and Bijapur too. The concept, as well as the way it has been implemented, has received kudos from the Department of Public Instruction. National Council for Education, Research and Training has also appreciated the Aata Paatha programme.

Aata Paatha has worked under different time schedules in consonance with the needs of the schools. Aata Paatha has worked on weekly schedules, reaching schools every week, same day, same time. Short term modules have also been experimented with. Everywhere it has been found that children love it and the teachers want to use the methodology.

The delight with which the children greet the Aata Paatha van is overwhelming. Over the past three years, the programme has reached over four thousand children with the joy of learning. This is quite a change from the dreary lessons that they normally had to go through.

Contact
Adamya Chetana (Smt Girija Shastry Memorial Trust)
Head Office, No 84, Ranoji Rao road
Basavanagudi
Bangalore, 56 00 04
(Karnataka, India)
Phone no: 080 26568483
How to reach
By air: Bangalore International Airport is 40 km away from the heart of the city.
By train: Bangalore Majestic, Bangalore Cantonment (8 km to Majestic) and Yeshwanthpur (10 km away from Majestic) are the three main stations in Bangalore. Bangalore Majestic is connected to all major cities in India.
By bus: KSRTC buses connect all cities in Karnataka to Bangalore. Many super deluxe buses are also available to Bangalore from Hyderabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa and Mysore.