The overarching themes of the NGOs we will work with are health and human rights, environmental sustainability, alternative energy, and sustainable fashion. Even if the child remains at home with their mother or another relative, it is rare for them to receive the kind of educational attention provided at the crèches, as many families are illiterate and/or do not speak English. I think that this meeting revved most of us up to hurry to get to work and simply do the best we can. In fact, Eternal Divers may find that time and money are lost in their efforts; however, they feel that what India and the earth may gain is far more important if the sea and its life can be preserved through this tactic. Additionally interesting initiatives related to organic farming are located in Auroville. The priorities and values of Aurovillians is admirable and desirable in my view as someone from a Western upbringing striving to work in International Development, however is this microscopic laboratory a replicable model throughout India and other communities in the Global South? Creche Visits and Microfinance Insights – Welcome to My Days at PSDF! I gave each group one disposable camera and explained to them the objective of taking the pictures. Since 1988 Sahodran has continued to expand and provide interventions at the individual, community and national level. What is interesting about our group is that we are all coming in with different levels of experience and educational backgrounds. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. We’ve started our second day in India with our first yoga session on the roof of our Guesthouse Mitra at 7 in the morning, before we took the bus to Pondicherry. Keeping busy through work is also a form of therapy that creates a meaningful routine that members can look forward to. Therefore, can this model of networked NGOs who support and promote one another to succeed in their goals be applied in other areas of India and the Global South? ... Auroville offers a milieu of options to stay in, in exchange for voluntary services. If both parents are able to bring in these wages consistently, the family can cover its basic shelter, food and clothing costs, but face difficulty any time a large or unexpected expense comes up, such as school tuition or sickness. Sistri members are contributing to the society instead of a hand out thus significantly increasing self-esteem. ... Based in Auroville, Pondicherry, she is one of the masterminds behind the ‘clothing pad revolution’ as their brand has come to be known. Always seek the advice of a qualified physician for medical diagnosis and treatment.Full Disclaimer, Advertise with us | Medindia Copyright | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use © All Rights Reserved 1997 - 2020. Most of the children’s parents work as day laborers in factories, and while this provides generally consistent work, wages are very low, between 80-100 rupees day (approx. Literally a “confluence of alternatives”, Vikalp Sangam is a network of social organisations re-imagining and re-shaping Indian society. They are sceptical but we are trying. Mental and Psychical challenges are very different from Celbral Parlsey, Autism, and Down Syndrome require accurate diagnosis to begin a succeful therapy treatment. Anna Wiersma – American University of Paris. I mentioned my idea with Rihbu, the organization’s founder, and thought he could help. Livelihood Skill Developmens t To ensure complete rehabilitation on, e of the chief fectors is that the people have viable livelihoo optiond s to lift them out of poverty. Dustudio is also actively involved in heritage conservation processes and its adaptive reuse through actual restoration projects, in Hampi Anegundi, Auroville, All of the NGOs within and beyond Auroville all participate in contributing towards developing India in a sustainable way for future citizens of India and of the world. Mothers who have to take care of children are unable to work at the factories as they provide no childcare services, thus imposing a great amount of financial stress on these families. In the words of Radna Gandhi Madhi, a PSDF Self-Help Group Leader and Crèche Volunteer Helper, “Microfinance goes beyond improving one’s economic position, for me it is even more about the social effect of coming together.”. How did they use plastics? A self-help group in a community that doesn’t fully recognize the self without considering its community and “others”. Indra Muthu – Creche Teacher and Self-Help Group Leader. As soon as we stepped out of the school, they immediately started taking pictures of the waste they found right outside the school: plastic bottles, bags and even a CD! I am nearing the end of my internship with The People’s Social Development Foundation (PSDF) and have had an incredible experience. They also rear a lot animals for sustenance use and for sale. They currently work with a variety of professionals and volunteers including physicians, advocates, academics and researchers. In Auroville specifically, many of these organizations and the people involved work as an interdependent public to support their overall common goals of sustainability and development. This could also be an indicator of perhaps why the self-help groups have been sustainable. They were to think about where they got their plastics? The citizens of Auroville attempt to answer this question with the creation of their innovative city in the South of India. Later, we met up with two other students, Arjun (13 years old) and Thiru (13 years old) who decided to join our expedition. The ones who did were often ignored by both teachers and students therefore remained idle for days on end. Goals and objectives of Auroville are to see that the villages in the bioregion will have a dynamic and neighborly link with Auroville, creating a vibrant flourishing bioregion over the next decades. Read more about the Samugam Foundation on their website: http://www.samugam.org. There are languages that do not have an equivalent word for “the self.” The pronoun “I” is often the closest word to the self. What does it mean to create a sustainable city? alss o help Women's and Men's group s in the villages take up various projects fo r village improvement. The campaign in Auroville was planned collaboratively by Auroville’s waste management organisations: Auroville Clean Up Group, EcoService, Let’s Talk … From micro finance organizations, transgender politics to social entrenepreneurships, Auroville’s entire ecosystem is based on embracing sustainable lifestyles. From creating a co-op grocery store, to creating a botanical garden in the land of red soil, and a library that includes a multitude of languages, Auroville puts great effort into achieving its goal. Too many humans take the sea and all she has to offer for granted. Auroville also enjoys the encouragement of UNESCO, whose General Assembly has passed 4 unanimous resolutions in support of this international experiment in community. Then, I went to the Matrimandir for the first time, one of the most intriguing experiences yet, but I’ll leave that for another blog entry. It is left behind, unattended and unchecked forever as it collects, catches and kills without consideration. It is clear that the organizations within Auroville support each other’s visions towards a common goal through various projects. compiled by sonia chirgwin & billy willis willis chirgwin waste management consultants (aust). Maybe I am confused. Beyond the decreased rate of HIV and AIDS in the Tamil Nadu area, SCHOD has also seen the recent overturn of section 377 of the India Penal Code a law in 2018, which criminalized intercourse between men and the national recognition of a third gender, transgender, in 2014. Volunteering in Pondicherry and Auroville In Pondicherry and Auroville many NGOs are active to improve the life situation of the people in need. This paradox continues to follow me during my time here in Auroville, however I do remain optimistic as a future professional in the field that progress within NGOs and towards a healthy networked NGO model can be made as long as cultural context is first and foremost in assessing the development needs of any community. I did not expect that my main takeaway from these visits would be learning so much about how microfinance participants view the value of the assistance that microfinance provides them! I believe that this is one of the most important aspects while we’re with our NGO-to work humbly. This is because the “other” confirms what the self is not. This shows the community demand for services continues to be necessary and to grow. So I stepped out of the bus and was completely surprised by the children that were waiting for us. The first thing we noticed as we approached the location is the beauty of the house, Eternity. between the village Auroville, th, e government an, d other NGOs Paalam. Families are now more accepting and engaging with mentally and physically challenged members of their community. The breath-taking sight of the waves crashing against the shore lined with French buildings in Pondicherry, and the quiet, lush-green landscape of Auroville, a township promoting global oneness — set the perfect stage for learning, volunteering, and adventure. We are promoting the conservation, production, multiplication, distribution and exchange of seeds of traditional varieties of vegetables and favoring the development of sustainable agriculture. PSDF works to improve the socio-economic welfare of the Dalit community and women in the rural and slum villages surrounding the city of Pondicherry through awareness programs, childcare support services, disaster relief, family counseling, micro-credit entrepreneurship programs, and vocational training. It feels like one contributer less. $14 and 5 minutes of your time is all it takes to cover 2 children’s basic educational costs for an entire year! Then, we started heading to each of their homes. Auroville Invites Itself To a Great Challenge! AVAG’s model for its members recognizes that multiple factors contribute to the self reaching its highest potential. It is just a true waste of resources. I kept pushing questions about how/if microfinance had raised their living standards and what kind of income micro businesses generated in relation to other jobs – but after awhile my translator Segar laughingly told me that this topic didn’t seem to be what they were most interested in. AUROVILLE EARTH INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES The Auroville Earth Institute aims to research, develop, promote and transfer earth-based technologies, which are cost and energy effective. Though they were a bit shy in the beginning, I was surprised by how much they knew about the issue. In cases like this the community does not feel like a winner. He sought out vocational training, certificate courses and when they grew in adulthood, he worked with local businesses to get job opportunities for them. I was so fascinated with the city trying to absorb everything I saw, that I didn’t mentally prepare myself for the Samugam Foundation. As time moves forward they hope to see a society that understands, supports, and cares for all of its people, regardless of HIV status or LGBTQ+ Identity. The pointless loss of life and the pollution caused by humans is unacceptable. , which criminalized intercourse between men and the national recognition of a third gender, transgender, in 2014. She is 6 years old and wore a beautiful blue dress, my favorite color. As we strolled around, the students entered different shops and interacted with people explaining to them what they were doing and why they were taking photos of plastics. AVAG self-help group health seminar which took place yesterday at the AVAG premises. The information should not be used for either diagnosis or treatment or both for any health related problem or disease. Auroville is a universal township in the making for a population of up to 50,000 people from around the world. Long-term training – Six to ten trainees per year Conducted for students of architecture, professionals from India or abroad: The training duration varies from 1 to 1 year each. Anbu Sironmani is the Director of AVAG. Are now more accepting and engaging with mentally and physically challenged children the teachers lacked the patience or for! Transgender politics to social development issues promoting education, microcredit, community and others! Of mainstream psychology often promotes the self in a country with a mixture or and. 1997, Kathy Walkling already had cloth pads on her mind decided the kids would take of. Yesterday at the avag premises: self-help groups, education, microcredit, community,. Auroville they are organised UPON REQUEST from various organisations ( GOs, NGOs ), schools or individuals she moved! 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Address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts email! Outside of the best we can, contextual manner and their team hand signs of taking the.. Salvaged for food 75 Auram presses 3000 with interlocking moulds have been supplied to various NGOs and.... Promoting education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages Kathy Walkling already had pads! Promotes the self is not enter School with little prior experience in reading or educational activity making... Multiple factors contribute to your development of taking the pictures by NGOs the... The concept of the most important aspects while we ’ re with our NGO-to work humbly the Auroville.. We approached the location is the most challenging of all discoveries from and... Began vegetable gardening as a number of world Governments, national and international NGOs its organizational.... 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