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Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Namaskar.
The report for the activities, conducted by VKRDP, during the month of January & February 2011 is detailed below, for your kind information:
1. Through 75 Balwadis, 2,136 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, 4,819 patients were examined and treated for various common ailments, through 15 Rural Medical Centres.
3. In 224 Samskara Vargas, 6,797 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 Grannie Parent Programme, 25 destitutes - old people were provided with monthly solatiums, in the form of rice, dhal, oil, etc., for their livelihood and 44 persons provided rice only.
5. With the assistance of Aravind Eye Hospital, Tirunelveli Free Eye Screening Camps were organised at six places. 1,128 patients were screened and 312 were operated for cataract.
6. Village level Deepa Poojas were organised in 265 temples with 10,940 women participants, who offered their prayers to God for the welfare of all people.
7. Vivekananda Kendra workers and volunteers have collected 2,761 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.1,60,358/- worth of literature books were sold.
9. Subscriptions for 209 Vivekavani were registered.
10. 80 women being benefited in 4 Self Help Groups in Kanyakumari district.
11. Swadhyaya Varga was organised in Paramakudi in which 39 persons participated.
12. Yoga Varga is being conducted in three places in Kovilpatti, Ramnad and Aruppukottai and 68 persons attended.
13. Four Tailoring units are functioning in Kanyakumari & Tirunelveli districts and total attendance is 71.
14. Shivalinga Poojas were conducted at two places in Kanyakumari District and 103 members participated.
15. Durga Pooja was conducted in Peyankuzhy of Kanyakumari District and 100 sister participated.
16. Chanting of Sri Rama Jaya Rama Mantra was held during Deepa Pooja, Shivalinga Pooja and also daily by Balwadi School Children, Cultural Class Students and during Monthly Meetings by Balwadi Teachers and Social Workers. Every month nearly 5,28,810 times mantras were chanted in 135 localities.
17. Swami Vivekanandar picture was pasted 70 houses from 2 villages of Virudhunagar District.
18. Swami Vivekanandar Vizha was celebrated in 38 places in which 9,928 people participated.
19. Gita Jayanthi was celebrated in 7 places, 955 persons attended the function.
20. Anna Pooja was celebrated in Ramnada and Rameshwaram, 10,467Kgs. rice was collected from 25 village people, 302 persons were attended this function.
21. VACS+1, +2 certificates distribution function was celebrated at Kovilpatti and Sankarankoil in Thoothukudi district and 166 students were participated from 10 schools.
22. On 30.01.2011, 115th year of Swami Vivekananda's triumphal return from West has been celebrated by Vivekananda Kendra. In that same day a huge procession with Swamiji's picture went along the streets and reached Kumaran Padithurai where Swami Vivekananda gave his Paramakudi lecture . Vivekananda Kendra Ramnad district-in-charge welcomed one and all. The Principal of Nanal Spoken English Centre Shri R. Suresh Kannan thanked everyone.
23. Under VACS Higher Secondary Level the book Narguna Nayagar Swami Vivekananda and Sri Sarada Devi the Divine mother was given to the students (8,375 students from 165 schools + 14 Religious class) after a sufficient period of study during which the teachers help the students in understanding and imbibing the values. 6,855 students written the examination and 5,976 students passed. Two separate residential camps for boys and girls were held as under:
- 27.12.2010 to 30.12.2010 - 69 schools 154 students 10 teachers & parents
- 31.12.2010 to 03.01.2011 - 62 schools 176 students 46 teachers & parents
24. VELGA VELGAVEY PROGRAMME :
Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary falls on 12.01.2013. To celebrate the holy day in a fitting manner, the Vivekananda Kendra is taking Swami Vivekananda’s message to millions of young men and women across the country. Already, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal have given the message to lakhs of college students and have involved thousands of youth is one day camps and five day camps, in this connection.
In 2009 it was decided that the Kendra would celebrate the youth power of Tamil Nadu in 2011. As the first phase, a book was prepared on the life and message of Swami Vivekananda in Tamil. The information of the ‘Velga Velgavey’ programme was taken to 75,000 students in 200 colleges from 13 districts of Tamil Nadu. 35,000 students registered for the programme and 32,000 of them wrote a simple test on the book.
One day leadership training programme was conducted in individual colleges and in some bunches of colleges together. 4,000 students participated in those events involving training in leadership, games, patriotic songs and lectures on organization. They were from 93 colleges. The camp was held from 21.01.2011 evening to 26.01.2011 afternoon under the leadership of our Kendra Vice President Shri Balakrishnanji and Su. B. Nivedita. Indian Space Research Organisation Scientist Shri Sivathanu Pillai has also participated and gave a valid speech. In the concluding day Shri Chidambaram, Principal Scientific advisor to Government of India participated in the concluding day and the function was celebrated in a grand manner. Students from 92 colleges both boys(444) and girls(569) all over the state of Tamil Nadu participated in the camp.
25. Matru Pooja was organized in two places 202 students, parents and public were attended this programme.
26. On 24.01.2011 Parents meeting was conducted at Mangavilai in Kanyakumari District 20 parents were participated.
27. The winners of the district-level competitions were invited to Kanyakumari for the inter-district competitions and the children’s festival was conducted from 17.02.2011 to 20.02.2011, 95 schools 66 students, 132 parents and 18 teachers were participated. In this camp they learnt yoga, bhajans, Indian culture, Swami Vivekananda, Kendra activities and games. Cultural programmes were performed by the carnival students, parents and teachers. The Manager, State Bank of India, Vivekanandapuram was presided over the function and distributed the prizes to the winners.
28. An Essay Competition was conducted for School teachers and College Professors on the theme of "HOW DO THE EVILS OF ALCOHOL, VULGAR TV SHOWS AND FILMS AFFECT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES? HOW CAN INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND THE SOCIETY COUNTER THEM?". 57 School & College Teachers were participated from 27 schools and colleges. The best essays were awarded with suitable prizes with certificates. The teachers were invited to the Kendra camp. The prize winning essays are being serialized in Kendra’s magazines and periodicals.
29. Every month we are distributing the rice which is collected through Amrit Surabhi and Anna pooja to Balwadi children, old poor people and also the following institutions, educational institutions etc., as follows.
- Sri Saratha Devi Anbu Illam, Nagercoil - 100 Kg.
- Mouna Gurusamy Madam, Thottiyodu - 200 Kg.
- Avvai Ashram, Sivasailam - 200 Kg.
- Hindu Middle School, Thirumalapuram - 400 Kg.
- Hindu Middle School, Kalanthapanai - 100 Kg.
- Jothi Primary School, Kumbikulam - 100 Kg.
- Balwadi child and Grannies - 5,175 Kg.
Yours,
In the Service of Lord
(S. AYYAPPAN)
VKRDP : THOOTHUKUDI, INDIA
web : http://www.vkrdp.org
INSPIRING INCIDENTS
(from our balwadi teachers & workers)
1. Ms. MUTHUKAVITHA, ARUMUGAPATTI, TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT ::
The Balasevikas were given a booklet on Kendra (Kalvikoodangalil Panpattu Panigal) work in the field of culture in schools, higher secondary schools, colleges etc.,. The crèche child Ramya’s mother borrowed one day the booklet and brought it back next day. She said the Kendra is doing so much work that we are happy that our child is studying in the Kendra crèche. The crèche is the pride of our village she said.
2. A. MARISELVAM, KARUVANTHA, TIRUNELVELI DISTRICT ::
The cultural class arranged a walking trip a pilgrim centre 6 km. away from this village. Two crèche children Ramya and Selvi wanted to come along. The balasevikas offered to take them in a Van on some other day. But the children would not listen. The balasevika yielded and the two children walked the entire distance of 6 kilometres and visited the temple. The balasevikas revised their opinion about stamina and grit of the children.
3. A. MURUGAVALLI, THANGAMMALPURAM, THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT::
Kanagaraj is a child in this crèche. His brother studies in a higher class in a school which charges high rates of tuition fee. Kanagaraj’s father returned from hig foreign job and tested both his sons. The younger Kanagaraj, the crèche child could recite rhymes, proverbs and the alphabets. His elder brother studying a higher class could not match him. The proud father recorded Kanagaraj’s recitations and carried it to his foreign residence. "Every day I listen to my son’s voice intoning healthy chants before I go for my work".
4. V.V.R. NAGAR, RAMNAD DISTRICT::
Priya, a creche child got ready by 7.00 a.m. and insisted that her mother take her to the creche. Her mother had to bold back her enthusiasm as the creche opens only at 9’o clock. Priya’s mother was happy that such a young girl attends creche without crying.
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Ref Link : http://www.vkendra.org/vkrdp-report-january-february-2011
Gaia - or Mother Earth : How to understand the feeling of belonging to one earth? Not as an intellectual exercise but as a part of our very being and existence? Just read this quote As you experience this dynamic, ever-shifting reality, you may suddenly find yourself in a state of meditation, a state in which you lose your sense of separate identity, and become totally engrossed in the life process being contemplated. A mystic? No. This is from a computational scientist, Stephen Harding, who is working with James Lovelock on Gaia systems approach. In an excerpt we have published, he explains how our biology curriculum should make the children tune in with the heart pulse of the planetary organism.
We continue our series. The second part of how to arrive at a sustainable building technology, explains how to calculate the embedded energy or emergy of various building components and also various building activities. Such an approach leads to diversification of technology. We cannot have the same uniform building technology but different technologies based on the particular region, taking into account the local materials, human conditions, environment and climate as well as local cultures. Do not miss this wonderful second part of the article on sustainable building technology.
This month we have conducted a series of workshops on water democracy for children, rural women as well as college students. The green health home has been active. Our medical team consisting of Dr. V.Ganapathi and others have documented the traditional Vaidhyas system of anti-venomn practices. Five bio-methanation plants have been commissioned. Azolla as well as Shalthi Surabhi training camps have been conducted. You can find info on all these in our newsletter.
Ultimately future belongs to the children. With what value system we bring up our children shall determine the future of the earth. Who is in a better position to realize this than our school teachers? And how well are they aware of the ecological problems that humanity faces and also what solution our cutural heritage and value system offers? You can find that out in an exemplary Tamil book written by a teacher of Vivekananda Kendra Vidhyalaya which has been reviewed and shared in this newsletter.