Prof.N.Swaminathan honoured with OZONE Kalam Knowledge Connectivity Award.

Dr.G.A.Rajkumar I A S handover the award to Prof.N.Swaminathan.

Prof.N.Swaminathan, a noted Social Development Consultant in Trichy, was honoured with OZONE Kalam Knowledge Connectivity Award instituted by South Zone Board of Continuing Education (OZONE) in Trichy on 26^th January 2019.This award was handed over to Prof.N.Swaminathan by former Additional Chief Secretary of Tamilnadu Government, Dr.G.A.Rajkumar, IAS in a function jointly organized by a Trichy based NGO, SEVAI and South Zone Board of Continuing Education (OZONE). Chairman of OZONE, K.Govindaraju mentioned that Prof.N.Swaminathan is involved in community outreach services for the past 40 years and provides training to the community outreach for needy women and youth in promoting human resources at the grass root levels in the areas of community development, child care and women development, literacy projects life coping skills.  The chairman of OZONE recollected the services of Prof.Swaminathan which enabled the rural population to acquire life skills and knowledge, as well as provide a service to those who needed it most in the areas of human resources capacity building and promoted community outreach program as a big help to your local population by providing needed human resources. The Chairman of Ozone added that the South Zone Board of Continuing Education (OZONE) had taken immense pleasure in recording, appreciating and recognizing the services and lasting contributions of Prof.N.Swaninathan and OZONE was proud in conferring upon him the OZONE-KALAM Award for Community Outreach for the awardees life time achievement.

Dr.G.A.Rajkmumar, the who handed over the award to Prof.N.Swaminathan congratulated him for bagging this award and said, “Community Outreach provides the community populations a sense of ownership of the community with the opportunity to become active members of their community and has a lasting, positive impact on society at large, with volunteerism initiatives which enables women and other stake holders the  Psychological benefits as the training increases overall life satisfaction and helps the community to  feel good about themselves because of mutual help which also  help to decreases stress and ease depression. The community outreach also provides social benefits as the outreach services engages local women and youth with the community, creates special bonds with the population being served, and increases social awareness and responsibility. Community outreach helps adolescents and youth which enhance their personal knowledge, grow from new experiences, and develop better interpersonal communication skills. Community outreach service also promotes the cognitive benefits and making the target population of NGOs where the training has been provided by Prof.Swaminathan, the Cognitive benefits, as Participating in community service not only makes a difference to the organization and people being served, but also makes a difference to every youth’s career prospects. Participating in community service activities helps to enhance the young men and women resume by allowing the local community to obtain work-related skills, build community involvement with civic and social responsibility skills and become more aware of what their community needs”.

On the receipt of the OZONE-KALAM Award for Community Outreach, the awardee,Prof. N.Swaminathan thanked one and all who supported his community outreach program over the years by NGOs, college teachers, family members and friends and also departed personalities like Prof.M.A.Windy and Sr.Rita Thaiveetil. He also expressed his thanks to OZONE for selecting him for this award named after Kalam, the OZONE-KALAM Award for Community Outreach.Prof. N.Swaminathan mentioned a few tips to the participants and emerging community outreach workers, “Meet people where they are, be respectful, Listen to your community, Build trust and relationships. Get the word out in a non-stigmatizing manner, Offer service and information in a variety of locations (including home visits) and at non-traditional times, especially after work hours”.

Prof.Panchanadhan felicitated in this function. Scope Subburaman, Card Vedachalam, K.M.Ratnam, Bless Anthonisamy, Gramium Gopal, Writer Jawahar Arumugam and several others congratulated Prof.N.Swaminathan for bagging this OZONE-KALAM Award for Community Outreach. Former Director of NYK, and chairman award selection committee welcomed the gathering and Thersnathan former Deputy Director of I&B proposed vote of thanks. Around 300 NGO functionaries, SHG members and social animators participated in this award function.-Kris

OZONE-Kalam Community Outreach award presented to Prof.Swaminathan,Trichy

Girl Child day-2019 observed by SEVAI NGO,Trichy

Two child marriages stopped by Childline-1098 and Government officials in Trichy District.

child marriage -Horrified minor girl portrayal

Acting on the phone call received by the childline -1098, the Collab agency SEVAI Childline team in Trichy District, with the support of Government officials from Social Welfare Department, Revenue Department and Police Department stopped two child marriages in separate incidents in Trichy District on 18, Jan, 2019. The Childline and officials team rushed to Thenoor village near Valanadu Kaikatti on the night of Thursday night and stopped the marriage of minor girl that was proposed to happen on the very next day morning, the Friday.The counselor of Childline-1098 Trichy along with officials counseled to the relatives of the 25 years old bride-groom and rescued the minor girl., who eloped from her house at Viralimalai in Pudukottai District for this marriage. Later the girl was handed over to the parents through proper channel. On the same         Friday evening at Ponmalai patty, Child line and official team stopped a marriage and saved another minor girl. The minor girl’s marriage was fixed with the husband of her recently dead elder sister. Child line -1098, Trichy Coordinator, I.Muralai Kumar mentioned “The rescued minor girl was produced before Child Welfare Committee as per the statutory requirements”.-Govin

Child line rescued a one-day-old infant girl, found inside a bag in Trichy.

Rescued girl infant

Child line -1098 collab rescued a one-day-old infant girl, found inside a bag in Trichy. Child-line helpline 1098, the Collab Agency the approved NGO- SEVAI received a call about the abandoned baby at 5.50 am in the morning on JAN 12, 2019 informing one day infant girl baby was found inside the bag in front of a house in Muslim Street in Kajamalai in Trichy on Saturday. On receiving the message, social workers of Child line helpline rushed to the spot and the KK Nagar police also came to spot on receiving the information about this abandoned girl baby. Child line coordinator, I Muralikumar. Said,
 “The local people told us that a resident in the area spotted movement in the bag tied to the gate of the house. He grew suspicious and opened the bag to find an infant alive inside and informed us,” The police investigated to find out who left the infant there. It was assumed that the infant girl might have been left there between midnight and early morning since the baby was found before dawn, the police have not got any clue about the people behind the incident.. Child line helpline social workers brought the infant to Government Mahatma Gandhi memorial government hospital, Puthur in Trichy and the infant was admitted to neo-natal intensive care unit. It was informed by Hospital source that that the infant was out of danger and the girl infant admitted in the Government Hospital is stable. A Hospital source said that the infant will be under observation until all the medical   Investigations are completed. -Govin

SEVAI Shanthi Higher Secondary School celebrated Pongal -2019 with customary enthusiasm with Human Trip French visitors.

Pongal Festival celebrated in SEVAI Team in SEVAI Shanthi HSSchool.

SEVAI Shanthi Higher Secondary School celebrated Pongal -2019 with customary enthusiasm with Human Trip Maison Familiale rurale-MFR School French students on 15^th January Tuesday celebrated the harvest festival of Pongal thanking rain, sun and farm animals. Pongal usually means in Tamil 'to boil or 'boiling over' and is celebrated with the boiling of the first rice of the season sacred to the Sun. This four day festival is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God and is usually celebrated from January 15 to January 18. In the Tamil language the word Pongal means "overflowing," signifying abundance and prosperity. During the festival, milk is cooked in a vessel. When it starts to bubble and overflows out of the vessel, freshly harvested rice grains are added to the pot. School teachers and international visitors celebrate this festival, got up early, put on new clothes and go to temples for prayers. The aroma of ghee fried cashews, almonds and cardamom fills homes as a traditional dish of rice; jaggery and Bengal gram are made. As the ingredients of Chakarai Pongal boils in milk, people call out 'Pongolo Pongal, Pongolo Pongal.The mud pot in which the dish was cooked was decorated by tying up ginger, turmeric, sugarcane piece and banana at the neck.Namma Trichy correspondent reports that Pongal festivities have begun on this first day of the Tamil month ‘Thai,’ which is considered auspicious in Tamil Nadu, as farmers finish their harvest and ready themselves for new beginnings. People exchanged greetings and Chakarai Pongal with their neighbors. ‘Rangoli/kolam had drawn in front of the homes and temples the most important part, feasting on some delectable sakkarai pongal and venn pongal.The SEVAI Shanthi Higher

Rangoli/Kolam

Secondary School was decorated with thoranam, sugar. Both children and parents participated in the programmes with great fervour.  The school grounds resembled a traditional village too. The French school students visit SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School for an exchange programme to have an Indian rural exposure..These French visitors also visited Thottiyapatty village in Thogamalai Block and had exposure with rural life on the Pongal day evening and they also joined Kummi attam with the local women. Professors Sylvie, Murieland, Celine and the students’ visitors appreciated the Pongal culture of Tamilnadu. The SEVAI team members K.Devendran, K.Sakthivel and P., Vanitha arranged the visits. The French youth expressed their happiness and they also danced with the local school mates on the Pongal day. Mr.Albert Selvakumar under the guidance of Mr.Philippe Mallet and Ms.Vaidevi guides the team.The French visitors also joined on Bogi in Trichy SEVAI Open Shelter. -Govin

 A few guests with Thottiyapatty adolescents on Pongal day

SEVAI Promotes Rural Tourism, Amoor cottages in Trichy District, Tamilnadu.

View of a single shelter in Amoor cottages

SEVAI, a Trichy based NGO, Promotes Rural Tourism in Amoor cottages, which is situated in Amoor of Musiri Taluk of Trichirapalli District of Tamilnadu. Amoor Cottages are located in this beautiful Amoor village near a beautiful Cauvery river. It is quiet place and perfect for relaxing, giving guests some relief from visiting busy cities. Amoor cottages connected with internet facilities.  Despite the wonderful selection of ‘big’ sights in Tamil Nadu – temples, fortifications, great sweeping beaches, high mountains – it is the little things, the low-key and random interactions with local people which really give the state its true flavor of Rural India. All basic facilities with rural background are available in these cottages. Organic farming has been

Amoor cottages

promoted in the open land around Amoor cottages. Children will have a wonderful experience in the place. Amoor cottages are calm and quiet; the guests can relax their holidays very much enjoyed, with our family and children. It is in the main area, so that one can start our site seeing from here. The guests can enjoy a peaceful stay in the beautiful countryside of Tamil Nadu; and these Amoor Cottages will provide you a great experience. This place is a small corner of paradise, both comfortable and typical.The guests can discover nice social entrepreneurship projects, run by Self Help Groups, that is to say groups of women that have created their own activities. In this way, the guests will be able to see different kinds of craftships

Amoor cottages view from River Cauvery.

(tailoring, organic farming, rice plantation, rangoli making..)

The pleasant and clean little roof houses provide power and running

water. The huts are made up with a front door balcony, a room and an

Twin shelters in Amoor cottages

attached bathroom in western style. In all the huts, fans are fitted and the beds are covered with a mosquito net. Every hut is designed especially to accommodate 2 persons but in case of needed, there is enough space for an extra-bed for a third. Very few visitors get to experience the day to day beauty of rural India. The Cauvery is Southern India’s mightiest river and gave birth to one of its greatest ancient empires – the Cholas. Under their patronage, stunning temples were

Pathway in Amoor cottages

built, rich art and craft was encouraged, and under them religious devotion and music thrived. All of this was helped by the life-giving waters of the Cauvery and its fertile alluvial soil that gave rise to a surfeit of food and grain, supported by a visionary irrigation system. Guests stay in Amoor cottages in the river side of River Cauvery and they stay in a small rural hamlet Amoor at a Brahmin street home and experience local Tamil customs and rituals. -Govin

SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School celebrations -New Year -2019

New Year Cultural Events of SEVAI Shanthi H S School by students

SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School celebrated New Year 2019. Yearly calendars were distributed for School students. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner and the 1st day of January is often marked as a national holiday. School teachers and students thanked for the past year.The School Principal Miss. Kala gave New Year address in among the School students, “I won’t be making sure the year leaves, because the New Year is a continuation of our school functioning, I say to never forget the past so it can shape your future. I want you instead to think about your achievements, your goals, your future plans. Why can’t we just wake up every day, and take the new day to be a new opportunity, a new chance, to discover, learn, and make progress in our academic and non-academic programmes. You students are to prepare very well to achieve your goal of obtaining gargantuan marks in your public examinations. We need to set goals for achieving immense performance in Education in 2019. Study for today, because yesterday is over, tomorrow is yet to come, but today is the present. It is today which will form tomorrow, and tomorrow which will form the future. I swear, if we start counting these seconds, minutes, hours, days, to reach our educational goals of 2019.Why not seek education, learn from our mistakes, instead of regretting and backing off by fear.This are the way to start a New Year, my students. I pray, for meaningful New Year in Education, health, strength, and wisdom to attain success. May the New Year be filled with wellness, joyfulness, inspiration, and opportunity? The New Year offers students and opportunity for attain higher heights in achieving outstanding marks in your Public Examination by attending class regularly and arrive on time, review assigned readings and notes before each class. Complete assignments in advance - don't postpone, tackle larger projects in manageable increments and allow ample study time to avoid cramming the night before a big exam. It is interesting just how many people would like to see some change in their family’s lives for the New Year, yet at the same time, are unwilling to make the effort to develop a plan for change.  Change can be uncomfortable, and perhaps that is why best intentions get derailed very early in the New Year”. The School pupils performed cultural events on this special occasion of New Year -2019.-Govin

SEVAI: Shelter construction to the disaster affected victims

Construction of Tsunami Response shelters in Poompuhar by SEVAI

SEVAI a Trichy based NGO is involved since 1984 in constructing shelters to the disaster affected. These assistance methods vary greatly depending on the contexts, type of disaster, local capacities, scale and resources. The goal of humanitarian shelter solutions provided in the aftermath of a disaster, are to be life-saving but also to set the path for sustainable reconstruction. The emergency or relief phase should be instrumental to orient the recovery phase, and integrate risk reduction as a key aspect of reducing housing vulnerabilities. To achieve this, people’s needs and preferences are driving the process, as the main objective is to build safer and more resilient communities. Following a disaster, shelter activities immediately focuses on saving lives. This is particularly urgent where the affected people are exposed to harsh climatic conditions such as extreme cold or heat.

SEVAI ensures key points such as people’s unity, as the construction is in

Tsunami Resonse houses are maintained well -12 years later

progress, the local youth are trained, promotion of livelihood, encouraging participatory leadership, optimum use of local construction material and stability and security of the shelter while construction of shelter for disaster victims as the construction phase is in progress. SEVAI also ensures active participation of the victims in the construction phase with continued effort with innovation approach with better mental attitude for the efficient use of the shelter after the construction.Beyond survival, the key considerations are: providing protection from the climate, ensuring privacy and dignity, providing personal safety and security. Shelter assistance needs to be flexible and appropriate to the context, it needs to take the type of damage caused by the disaster into account and consider what is required to complement existing or damaged homes and structures. Additional important factors are social and climatic conditions and the scale of the disaster. The

Tsunami response settlement in Poompuhar by SEVAI

resources invested in reconstruction programmes need to result in new income generating activities, which favours the local economy and development. The overarching goal is to promote local building cultures to improve the impact and efficiency of housing programmes. Successful shelter construction are to be designed finding solutions for a number of other issues such as water and sanitation, fuel for cooking and heating, waste management and settlement planning. At the same time communal facilities such as schools, play areas and health clinics have to be available to affected people. Post disaster reconstruction activities provide opportunities for men and women to learn new skills related to construction, planning and related issues such as managing natural environmental resources and local project management.-Govin