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| CHINMAYA
ORGANISATION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT |
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| A
majority of India lives in its villages, yet, unfortunately
a large number of villagers are cut off from the mainstream
of development. The vastness and richness of India's diversity
demands relevant, sustainable local solutions from its untapped
& dormant resources, both human and others to mitigate people's
problems and sufferings. |
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| CORD'S
vision is to harness human resources and enable the poor to
transform their lives through programmes driven by themselves.
It will thus facilitate integrated and sustainable development
of the poor with their active participation, resulting in their
overall development and empowerment. Multiple complex issues
affecting their lives such as social, economic, political, environmental,
educational and health related issues will be addressed comprehensively. |
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| The
Chinmaya Mission, the well known social, spiritual and educational
organization in its goal to work comprehensively for the betterment
of society, decided to engage with rural communities in and
around their centres. This was initiated as per the instruction
of Pujya Gurudev H.H. Swami Chinmayananda. |
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| This
social initiative in Rural Development has been going on since
1985 in Sidhbari where we have covered over 400 villages involving
40,000 people directly. To replicate the successful work CORD-(Chinmaya
Organization for Rural Development) was constituted in December
2003 by H.H.Swami Tejomayanandaji, the present Head of the Chinmaya
Mission to start similar rural development projects in other
parts of India. |
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| The
Mission is now poised for a fuller realization of its objectives
in the rural sector mainly in areas of Women and Girl Empowerment,
Children, Primary Health Care Services and Income Generation
Activities. |
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| Chinmaya
Mission Centres in certain areas like Himachal Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh and Orissa have achieved laudable milestones in people-centered
rural services ! However, these efforts need to be given greater
impetus and focus along with expansion of such programmes in
other areas.
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| The
Mission |
| To
facilitate participatory and integrated sustainable development
of the poor. |
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| The
Vision |
| To
harness human resources and enable the poor to transform their
lives through programmes driven by themselves. |
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| Programmes
and Activities taken up by CORD funded Projects |
| Programmes
and activities of CORD have emerged through dynamic and vibrant
interactions with the villagers. Organizing them and building
their capacities to find relevant local solutions to their problems
is the strength of CORD. |
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| The
Mahila Mandals: Empowering Women |
| A
village-level forum for rural women to discuss personal and
economic concerns as well as participate actively in common
village interests and issues. |
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| Yuvati
Groups: Encouraging Self-Confidence |
| Youth
groups for girls to provide a platform for them to encourage
education and trade skills development. Additionally, girls
learn about adolescent health issues, which are not openly discussed
in the family and community. |
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| Balvadis:
Nurturing children |
Discrimination
often keeps the girl-child at home to help her mother care for
younger siblings. To counter this and to build village interventions
centered around a child Balwadi
Programmes are conducted. The Balvadi is a nursery school in
a village that enrolls children from ages two to six, and provides
a stepping-stone for them to enter regular school. Young
minds are exposed to spirituality, physical education, the alphabet
and numbers. Its adjunct, the Balvihar programme, for children
above 6 years of age, includes mothers and discusses issues
concerning children and women in their immediate environment.
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| Fighting
Social Injustice |
Alcoholism
remains a serious issue in many villages of India, furthering
the cycle of poverty and violence, especially domestic violence
- wife beating and sometimes child abuse. Social injustice is
addressed through Informal legal cells and counseling. Victims
interact with the
police and lawyers in a congenial informal setting to get both
protection and justice whenever required. |
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| Yuva
Groups: Channeling energy positively |
The
Yuva groups provide a positive venue for young adults to communicate,
question, face fears, and voice concerns rather than look for
crutches like alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. Unemployment is the
single biggest challenge they face. In the groups, young people
can
learn about trade skills and services that can create opportunity
within their communities. The idea is to harness their energies
for village development. |
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| Self-Help
Groups: Acessing finance and building capacities |
| In
1994, the NGO introduced the concept of Self Help Groups, a
form of micro banking, into the community. Groups of women with
Mahila Mandals and groups of youth within Yuva Mandals began
the process of small-scale savings and loans. Local banks offered
micro-credit too. Since 1999 CORD has trained and sensitized
more than 20,000 bank officers, government and non-government
officers and functionaries to promote Self-Help Groups. It has
made micro finance accessible to the poorest of the poor. |
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| Sustainable
income-generation for women |
| Rural
families earn their livelihood through multiple means. CORD
offers a flexible approach to livelihood and encourages large
number to leverage their aptitudes. Diverse activities including
agriculture, dairy, petty shops, food products, fabrics (weaving,
sewing, embroidery), knitting, traditional paintings, bamboo
products and various services are facilitated. Ensuring self-reliance,
building operational management and mainstreaming the micro
entrepreneurs into the local market is an integral part of the
process. |
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| Primary
Health Care Services |
| Doctors
in out patient clinic, village midwives and health guides and
community groups together promote and manage health issues.
Educating people, recognizing the role of midwives in isolated
villages and connecting to referral services is an integral
part of the programme.Immunization, family planning, nutrition,
hygiene and sanitation are promoted. Prevention of diseases
from diarrhea to AIDS is emphasized. |
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| Community
Based Rehabilitation Programme of the differently abled |
| Inclusion
and integration of the disabled into the community with dignity
beyond their management forms an important aspect of CORD's
holistic programme. It addresses issues of accessibility, education
and self employment and participates in policy advocacy. |
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| Managing
Natural Resources |
| Overtime
people have developed apathy in difference to their environment.
CORD is motivating and training people to develop and implement
micro plans for managing and sustaining their natural resources.
It promotes and relates Jal, Jungle, Jameen, Jan, Janwar, Jeevika
and Jeevan (water, forest, land, people, animal, livelihood
and life) in an integrated and interdependent mutually beneficial
manner. |
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| Strengthening
Local Self Governance |
| CORD
is aware that people-centered and people driven programmes will
need participatory rather than representative local self-governance.
Strengthening the democratic process through Up Gram Sabhas
and Gram Sabhas (General Body Councils) is thus an important
component of its village programme. |
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| CORD
Projects At Present |
| Deuladiha
- Orissa |
| Lathikata
- Orissa |
| Tamraipakkam
- Tamil Nadu |
| Sidhbari-Himachal
Pradesh |
| Chinakakani
- Andhra Pradesh (orphanage) |
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| What
can we all do? |
| India,
home to a billion people, is also home to the largest number
of the world's poor and needy. Multiple negative influences
in their lives such as ill health, lack of awareness and education
and opportunities coupled with social injustice and gender discrimination
locks them further into permanent cycles of poverty and deprivation.
Being unorganized they have to learn to form groups and resolve
issues locally in a decentralized manner. |
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| CORD's
efforts to transform lives need resources, both material and
moral. Individuals as well as institutions, both governmental
and non-governmental, regardless of nationality or geography,
must become aware that this effort is for all. Creating awareness,
generating funding and contribution of professional skills and
resources are all ways to participate with CORD in the area
of rural development and women's empowerment. |
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| We
need to reach out to as many as we can and also reach within
and commit ourselves to positive action. CORD believes that
empowerment is the key to change and development. It can come
truly only from within - and the woman is the key lever of such
change within the community. |
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| Let
us all begin to dream of a good and just society and it will,
we are convinced, will one day come true. |
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| How
can you Help? |
| You
can help in any/all of the following ways :- |
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| Volunteer,
Training, Professional services, Donations. |
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| Donations
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| You
can support any particular programme/activity or all the programmes
of the Rural Development. Donations to be made in favour of
" CORD " and sent to Headoffice in New Delhi at the
below given address. All donations are exempted from Tax under
Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. |
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| Alternatively,
please send a cheque payable to Chinmaya Mission UK and mark
CORD on the reverse. If you are a UK Tax payer and would like
Chinmaya Mission UK to treat your donation as gift aid, please
click here
to download a gift aid declaration. Kindly fill out the same
and send it to us with your donation. |
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| Click
Here To Download CORD Catalogue 2006 (PDF) |
| Click
Here To Download CORD Volunter Guide (PDF) |
| Chinmaya
Organisation For Rural Development - www.rural-development.ca
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| FOR
MORE DETAILS CONTACT
Ms.
Mona Malkani
CORD, 89, Lodhi Estate
New Dellii-110003
Ph: 011-246 433 01, 246 978 48 (Office)
011-261 42952, 261 453 14 (Res)
e-mail : amannoor@sify.com
Dr.
Kshama Metre
CORD, Tapovan, Sidhbari
District Kangra
Himachal Pradesh-176057
Phone : (01892) 234 322, 236 987 (office)
e-mail : chinmaya_tapovan@vsnI.com
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