RURAL CAMP

OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMP

 To enable students to learn to live and relate in a secondary group

 To know the rural problem and program to encounter them

INTRODUCTION

Rural camp is the part of the curriculum for the 1 st year MSW students. It gives them
an opportunity to get rural exposure, rural lifestyle, to understand rural realities, like
education status, health status, occupation status, social & political status of the village. It
gives them experience of group living and shared experiences and learn to adjust with their
fellow students, it helps the students to inculcate talents and skill such as organising
mobilising, intra rapport building, motivating, performing.The camp street theatre helps
them to be more responsible and committed.

PILOT VISIT

The department of social work has planned to organise rural camp for 2009-11 batch
with regard to this we contacted Anbagam an NGO and planned to do a pilot visit to
karumbakkam village.

Pilot visit team:

Students included: Mr. Fize ahamad & mr. Sathish

Staff included: Ms. P.Leena roselin
Date: 9.1.2010

The team gathered at chengalpet by 9:00 am and started to karumbakkam village the journey
gave us an village atmosphere. We reached mambakkam village and met Father Francis he
took us to karumbakkam village by arranging vehicle the village was 3kms from
mambakkam . the team visited the village and interacted with the people to collect details
about the occupation, education and health and recreational activities. We looked for the
accommodation facility and place for conducting the program. We were not able to meet the
village president. Fr Francis helped us by giving the church and a room above the church for
accommodation and he helped us in arranging cooking vessels, fire woods, and also in
arranging resource persons. With this arrangement we completed our pilot visit..

ABOUT THE VILLAGE

Karumbakkam village comes under Mambakkam panchayat , Utiramerur block and

Kancheepuram district. The village has a total population of 250 families and 600 voters

Social setup: There are two set of communities residing in the village the SC’s and
MBC’s. The SC community are the majority in the village most of them don’t even have
patta for their houses. All three religious people live together happily , there are Hindus,
Catholics, CSI, Evangelist and Muslims

Socialisation: Most of the women and teenagers of both gender do not come
forward to take part in any social activities they feel shy to express themselves. Men and
Villager in general are good at heart,very loving and caring.

Occupation: Their main occupation is agriculture but they do not process their own
land even if they have it’s less than a hectare. They work as agricultural labours in other
fields and in nearby villages ,they also carry on agricultural allied activities like cattle rearing
and poultry etc... The youngsters work in garment industries, distilleries and labourers in
construction. Women get lower share of wages compared to that of men.

Infrastructure: - The village has one overhead tank from which they get drinking
water. It has also got a school up to 7 th standard, it has street lights which are not fully
functioning, it has got concrete roads and most of the houses are thatched houses

Education:- The village has a elementary school which has classes upto 7 th standard
and for 8th to 10th standard they have to go to mambakkam which is 3kms away for higher
secondary studies they have to go to salavakkam which is 7kms away, if we see the
educational status of the village most of them are school dropouts. The present generations
are sending their children to school but will they take up higher secondary or higher
education/ professional course is a question mark. The reason behind is the lack of motivation
and guidance. Thefamily circumstances do not allow them to take up initiatives/ interest
towards studies. The students not only concentrate on studies but they have to help their
parents in house hold works, farm works, look after the cattle and no privacy for personal
learning’s with all this limitation only one or two is able to do higher studies

Health: - Health is wealth. The rural people are blessed with pollution free
environment and they enjoy good air and water and noise free atmosphere. But the drawback
is they fail to keep their surroundings and their own self clean. Childrens with dirty hands
play in mud but they don’t wash it after playing, uncut nails, kids moving around naked and
open toilet facility, the inability to intake healthy food such as veg/milk/egg. Above all these
there is no health centre in this village. They have to go to mambakkam for dispensary run by
sisters. The sisters used to come to the village in a mobile clinic once in a week. For other
emergency they have to go to chengalpet which is 10kms away

DAY 1 (10/2/2010)
On 10th Feb. 2010 Wednesday the 1st MSW students started their journey of
“VIDIYALAI THEDI” with the blessings of the respected Principal and honourable Dean of
the college. Two of the students had reached karumbakkam and made preparations for lunch
with help of Brother Michael. We reached the village at around 2:30 pm and had our lunch.

The students got settled in their places in the evening and the camp was formally
inaugurated by Mr. Romanus Prabhu (Director of Anbagam) and Mrs. Silvia Daisy (secretary
of anbagam) by lightning the lamp and enlightened the students with their valuable speech.
They shared with us about how about how likeminded people come together to take up social
responsibility of building young men and women for better society.it was an inspiration too
our students to take up social responsibility. We had a tasty dinner and started the evaluation
of the day by 9:00 pm. This is the time were everyone would share their feelings and personal
learning’s and what all they had come to know in their lives by this rural camps day. Since it
was the first day and most of them were new to village setup they told about the beauties of
the village and the hardship they had to face. They expressed their views about being
involved in as a group and do every work to the utmost satisfaction. The evaluation got over
by 10:30 and the next day’s program was scheduled with the students subdivided into five
groups and each group were assigned a specific job to do for that day.

DAY 2 (11/2/2010)

KNOW THE COMMUNITY

The day began with prayer, then time was alloted for daily duties,then we had our
breakfast.Introductionwas given to the student by Brother Michael about the village.

The students were asked to find out the history of village through interaction with the
people.The first activity that was assigned was to visit the village and communicate with the
village people to know about their way of life, social and economical status, political
structure and cultural background of the village. The students visited more than 30 house that
day and were able to interact with the people of the village. After the lunch the students
began to rehearse for the evening’s programme and at 6 pm the students were sent to mobilise
people for that days cultural performance. The students along with staff identified the place
for Programme and made arrangements with the help of the youth villagers. The programme
started at 7:15 with the camp song and had two awareness street theatres and was concluded
with songs.

Mr.Bakkiya helped us in arranging the programme. The evaluation started and

everyone were told to share their learning’s of the day the first thing that everyone noticed
was the health and hygiene of the people was too low they were not able to keep themselves
hygienic they use the same water for cooking, taking bath and to clean the domestic animals
also. The people of the village were so kind hearted and they talked about their family and
their economy in which they are so deprived of. And thus the session got over.

DAY 3 (12/2/2010)
 RURAL INSTITUTION
Today the block development officer Mr. Thanigachalam came to give us a brief
introduction about the village under his control and he also gave information relating to the
government projects and activities that are undertaken in that block. He explained the various
functions of his department and the type of work they do. He also gave us a clear info about
the schemes that has been implemented in the rural areas under his guidance. He gave us
valuable information regarding the work that he has undertaken. After the session the
students began to have a valuable interaction with the block development officer many
questions were raised and he gave us all the information needed.

After the session got over the students began their manual work by cleaning the
church and its surrounding areas everyone excitedly participated in the work and almost
cleaned all the places in the church.

After having the lunch the students began to rehearse for the days evening programme
some new street theatre were practiced and everyone gave new ideas to be put in the skit
some songs were also practiced.

And at evening the students began to go for mobilising inside the village then after
mobilising the programme started and was continued for about an hour.

Evaluation started at 9:00 pm and continued till everyone had their views open the
most discussed one was about were to conduct the sports meet in the village it was a
confusion of a place, in the school or before the church. Most of them gave their suggestion
to conduct the programme outside the church and so it was concluded. Then everyone began
to tell about their experience of that day and it was noticed that many told about the poverties
that surround the village,students have noticed this when they went around the village
 DAY 4 (13/2/2010)

RURAL EDUCATION
Today Brother George came in and gave us a session about the effects of caste system
in education. He gave us valuable points regarding the caste system and its effects on
education. He gave us some key points about the various types of injustice that prevails to the
students in the society he also bought with him a documentary film portraying the ill effects
of caste system everyone watched the documentary and after the end questions were asked to
the students about the documentary and the students reciprocated with their own views about
the documentary brother George then gave us some advice regarding caste system he also
answered all the questions raised about the caste system then he taught a song which
everyone liked so much the students also practiced the song

The sports meet was conducted in the afternoon; it was conducted before the church
premises were we stayed. Announcement were given earlier so many children’s came in and
participated eagerly, even woman and men of all ages came in to see the sports. The various
sports activities that was conducted are

1. Running race

2. Lemon in spoon

3. Sack race

4. Balloon bursting

5. Kabadi &

6. Volley ball

Games were also conducted for woman then it was announced that the prizes will be
distributed at the cultural programme at the end of the camp day

Evaluation: Everyone were talking about today’s activities especially the sports meet
and how it was a great effect taken by the students as a group and making it a great success
most of the comments told about the caste system that prevailed in the village and how it
prevented some children’s and elders to come and participate in the sports event
 DAY 5 (14/2/2010)

RURAL HEALTH
It was a exciting day today because two programmes are going to be organised today
the first one was medical camp and the second one was AIDS awareness programme. As
usual the students got ready for the days work. Instructions were given to the students
regarding medical camp so that they could be well prepared. In the morning MEDICAL
CAMP was conducted with the help of the hindu mission hospital, Chennai.

Many people came to the camp and many were benefitted. Since there were no other
hospitals around they found it very helpful. The medical camp got over by 12:30 pm after
that in the evening the students were sent to mobilise about the days evening programme
conducted by the red ribbon society about AIDS awareness.

Many people came in and watched the programme about AIDS awareness the
programme consisted of folk songs and street theatre emphasizing about the prevention of
aids and how to avoid it. Their presentation was very good and most people asked for more,
questions were also raised during the commencement of the programme and the persons who
told the correct answers were given prizes by our staff, then the program was concluded and
dinner was provided to them

Evaluation: The students shared their thoughts about how miserable the peoples
conditions was without a proper health centre moreover if there is an emergency they have to
take the victim to mambakkam which also houses only a dispensary run by the sisters
otherwise they have to go to chengalpet for a proper hospital. The students learned about the
poor living conditions of the people

DAY 6 (15/2/2010)
 RURAL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

During the morning session the students started to practice for the cultural
programme, they rehearsed for many programmes such as songs, street theatre, solo’s etc.
Then the students were subdivided into five groups and sent to the village to study about the
village and the people. Every student were asked to enquire each and every family in the
village and to know about the living condition, social and economical status, food and health
problems and their political view and source of their income

After the lunch the students went into the village to study about them. It took nearly
half the day and the students returned late evening only, they were able to know about the
village setup and the way of life of the people.

Evaluation: as the students had interaction with the people directly they were able to
know about their problems very clearly and they were also able to feel about how the people
are oppressed and discriminated on the basis of caste.

DAY 7 (16/2/2010)

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
This was the final day of our rural camp and today’s schedule was to go to amala
annai high school in mambakkam and conduct drawing, speech, essay writing and quiz for
the students in the school. Then the students divided themselves into group and took
responsibility of each and every programme all the programs were conducted simultaneously
and it got over by a hour and an half then prizes were distributed to the school students who
won the first second and third prizes respectively

In the afternoon session the students began to prepare for the valedictory function the
students went to mobilise the people to come for the final day’s cultural programme then
after mobilising the stage was set.our chief guest were fr. Francis Xavier, br. Michael Mr.
Ramanus prabhu (director of anbagam) and mrs. Silvia daisy (secretary of anbagam) after
their arrival the cultural started.

VALEDICTORY PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

 Tamizh thai vazhthu

 Camp song

 Welcome address

 Presidential address

 Chief guest address

 Felicitation address

 Prize distribution

 Cultural

 Vote of thanks