Kalam Award for Quality of Life Improvement 2016-17. Mr.A Bakthavatchalam, Director, ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL MASS INDIA -ARM

Mr.A.Bakthavachalam presented Kalam Award for quality of life Improvement

Mr.A Bakthavatchalam, Director, ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL MASS INDIA –ARM, Villupuram with his team started ARM and he believes that participation of people in their own development process empowers them. ARM’s works cover:25 Tribal Development councils were formed at Kalrayan hills.2500 peer educators promoted for STI,HIV,AIDS Prevention in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Puducherry and Villupuram Districts. 875 non going children were reenrolled in the regular schools from Villupuram district rural areas. 23875 out of school youth were trained in STI, HIV, AIDS in the rural areas. 78 youth boys and girls were given vocational training. 58 women self help groups were formed and promoted small savings through local banks of their areas. 450 PLHIV are given care and support for positive living. A Highway based information centre is promoted by the peer educators on their own and providing health and family welfare awareness messages for the public and truck drivers. 50 Domestic Child workers are relieved and mainstreamed at their own families and community. Awareness were given to 4500 youth on tobacco usages prevention and control. Nutritional Education is given to pregnant and lactating women in the rural areas. Self employment training and given to rural and tribal youths. 40 link workers are functioning in Villupuram district with the assistance of APAC NACCO and ARM. 1500 commercial sex workers screened for STI and HIV Test. 114 farmer coveralls are formed and trained for the Agricultural Development 75 Transgenders were given land tattle through Villupuram Collectorate. Koovagam festival an exclusive function and transgender is well organized and conducted for the past 10 years in which more than 6000 transgender participate and express their talents, skills on communication and HIV,AIDS awareness Association for Rural Mass India ARM is recognized as the nodal Health NGO in the district by the district health officers. We have trained 475 NGOs in tamilnadu through hands on training through our field learning centre on health, STI and HIV,AIDS subjects by providing field demonstration at Villupuram training centre. We have developed 150 trainers from Female sex workers, MSM, transgender and PLHIV as district resource persons from each high risk community groups.The South Zone Board of Continuing Education takes pride in conferring upon   Mr.A BAKTHAVATCHALAM, Director, ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL MASS INDIA –ARM, Villupuram, the Quality of Life Improvement Kalam Award for the year 2016-17 and the same is presented on 25 th October 2017 at Kalai arangam Conference Hall, Trichy.-Kris