Indian Villagers feel a sense of village pride and honour-Interaction with Belgium ICHEC-2011-Dr.K.Govindaraju,Founder/Director,SEVAI.

ICHEC-2011 with SEVAI School pupils and teachers

ICHEC Housing -2011 project participants arrived a tiny village Arumbuhalnagar in Trichirappalli District of Tamilnadu. The Brussels-India program is done in conjunction with ICHEC Business University in Brussels, Belgium. The mission was to construct two class rooms in SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation Higher Secondary school. This school has a pupils strength of around 1300 and they additional class rooms for accommodating these pupils in the school buildings.ICHEC-2010  constructed two class rooms and 80 students have been accommodated and ICHEC-2011 also construct 2 more class rooms in Arumbuhalnagar school for accommodating 80 more students. The Founder of SEVAI which runs this school, Dr.K.Govindaraju presented his organizational activities to the students of ICHEC-2011 for the two teams namely Sevai Allur and Sevai Amoor. These two group of students Sevai Allur, Coppieters Alexandra, Delvaux Jeremy,Latour Zoe,Monderer Florent, Van Swieten Sandrine,Delvaux Alexia,Kabbaj Mohamed Said,Marlot Camille,tenants Ezlizabeth and Verschaeren Tanguy and SEVAI Amoor group members Vruyns Dorian, Garcia Marian Laura,Helfgott Philippe,Stoquart Celine, Warden Emily,De Canniere Fanny,Gerkbard Dan,Indejeu Madeleine and Wallemacq Richardo were present on this Camp eve presentation.Dr.K.Govindaraju,Founder/Director of SEVAI enlightened the students the general scenario of Villages of this region and said “Scattered throughout India are approximately 600,000 villages. These settlements range from tiny hamlets of thatched huts to larger settlements of tile-roofed stone and brick houses. Most Indian villages are small; nearly 80 percent have fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. Most are nucleated settlements, while others are more dispersed. It is in villages that India's most basic business--agriculture--takes place. Here, in the face of vicissitudes of all kinds, farmers follow time-tested as well as innovative methods of growing rice, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and many other crops in order to accomplish the challenging task of feeding themselves and the nation. Here, too, flourish many of India's most valued cultural forms. Viewed from a distance, an Indian village may appear deceptively simple. A cluster of mud-plastered walls shaded by a few trees, set among a stretch of green or dun-colored fields, with a few people slowly coming or going, , cattle lowing, and birds singing--all present an image of harmonious simplicity. Social scientists of the past wrote of Indian villages as virtually self-sufficient communities with few ties to the outside world. In actuality, Indian village life is far from simple. Each village is connected through a variety of crucial horizontal linkages with other villages and with urban areas both near and far. Most villages are characterized by a multiplicity of economic, caste, kinship, occupational groups linked vertically within each settlement. Indian village dwellings are built very close to one another in a nucleated settlement, with small lanes for passage of people and sometimes carts. Village fields surround the settlement and are generally within easy walking distance. Generally, land, prosperity, and power go together. In some regions, landowners refrain from using plows themselves but hire tenant farmers and laborers to do this work. In other regions, landowners till the soil with the aid of laborers, usually resident in the same village. Fellow villagers typically include representatives of various service and artisan castes to supply the needs of the villagers--priests, carpenters, blacksmiths, barbers, weavers, potters, oil pressers, leatherworkers, sweepers, water bearers, and so on. 

Hair dress exchange experience between Indian girl and USA

Artisanry in pottery, wood, cloth, metal, and leather, although diminishing, continues in many contemporary Indian villages as it did in centuries past. Village religious observances and weddings are occasions for members of various castes to provide customary ritual goods and services in order for the events to proceed according to proper tradition. Aside from caste-associated occupations, villages often include people who practice nontraditional occupations. At slack seasons, village life in India can appear to be sleepy, but usually villages are humming with activity. The work ethic is strong, with little time out for relaxation, except for numerous divinely sanctioned festivals and rite-of-passage celebrations. Residents are quick to judge each other, and improper work or social habits receive strong criticism. Villagers feel a sense of village pride and honour, and the reputation of a village depends upon the behavior of all of its residents”. The construction of school building is in full swing, simultaneously ICHEC -2011 students show a lot of interest in Indian students’ way of life and their families in rural setting. Sports activities, Cultural events exchanges, village visits and interaction with Arumbuhalnagar community are integral part of the construction of the school building of ICHEC-2011.-Govin