ACTIVITIES                                                                                   Please click here for News letters

The philosophy of VRO is closely allied to the Gandhian concept of Sarvodaya and the Christian social philosophy.

The VRO follows a community-based "sectoral" approach in its methodology of Village rebuilding and development. As such, the various VRO activities / programs are divided into 10 field sectors. From the beginning there were 10 corresponding administrative sectors. They are as follows:

1. SURVEY: To know the context of each Village and to establish a working base for activities. more...

This is the entry stage to a Village before the organisation starts any development activities in it. The organisation selects micro Villages, where people frequently suffer due to natural calamities, where people do not have even proper basic necessities.

When VRO volunteers go to a Village, firstly they observe the situation of the Village, meet the elders in the Village, talk to them and collect the Village statistics. At this juncture, the volunteers explain to them the principles, conditions, and tests which the VRO carries out for different programs and challenge them if they are interested in sharing, and working together to develop their Village with the assistance of the VRO.

The Villagers then are invited to attend the weekly Village Contact Persons meetings organized in the regional/circle offices in their vicinity. The volunteers at the same time collect the information of neighboring Villages. They also collect the Village maps for further reference.

2. TRAINING: To select and prepare new volunteers into attitudes and skills of VRO and to improve the motivation and skills of old volunteers. Click for more information...

Personnel & Training

The purpose of this sector is to select the candidates interested to serve in the Villages as volunteers. After selection, we train them for a minimum period of a month. During which we test their habits, attitudes, skills, and interests. We also test their Village life style.

After testing, based on the interest of the candidate, a temporary Village service assignment is given, under the guidance and supervision of a senior volunteer. Their work is evaluated after a period of three months. If the volunteers’ performance is found to be good, if the relations are good, the learning is satisfactory, the presence is good, and if the candidate is interested to serve in the Villages, their services are continued.

Objectives:

To mould volunteers who are:

1. Challenging in character

2. Testing value for service

3. Boosting reflection and initiative in a rural environment

4. Offering opportunity of Village contact and sharing

5. Leading to change of attitudes and interests

6. Helping better self-expression

3.AGRITULTURE: To help the Villages in Forestry, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and agriculture. more...

Agriculture &Tree Plantation (Environment)

Agriculture and forestry together make a very vital and priority sector for the VRO. Wastelands are found in old VRO Villages and sites. The VRO trains the youth and Villagers to develop these lands and make them viable for cultivation. At the same time, crops are raised for demonstration and training.

We also raise nurseries in our Villages and grow different varieties of plants for shade, timber and fencing plants. We train the Villagers and youth in raising plants during the rainy season, and distribute the saplings in Villages as per their requirement. After distribution and plantation, we also impart training to them for taking care of the plants in activities like fencing, mulching, watering, trimming etc.,

"Where Trees grow, Man will live."

4. TECHNOLOGY: To introduce and to produce natural based energy sources and to maintain them at the Village level. more...

Village Technology

We have over a period of time, developed expertise in ten different Village technologies in VRO. We concentrate mainly on wind-mills, solar cookers, solar lights, bio-gas, cycle trailers, water wheels, fiber cement sheets / tiles, smokeless chulhas, solar stills, etc.,

We install the required technology item in the Villages and train the youth and the Villagers in maintenance and in proper utilization of the technology. The purpose of the program is to train the Villagers in using the non-conventional energy.

 5. EDUCATION: To develop an authentic, realistic, Village-related kind of learning, covering the whole range of nature, humanity and freedom. more...

Education

There are six stages of education programs in VRO, starting from the basic pre-school education programs to Village management programs and further. We call this “Temple of VRO Learning Program”.

Stage I (3 - 5 yrs age): This is Balwadi education. If a Village has a minimum of 30 children in the age group, we start a balwadi education center in that Village. The basic idea is to develop the under 5s socially, physically and intellectually. The trained balwadi teacher will be sent to the Village to impart education which will help in the development of the natural senses of the child - through story telling, songs, games, etc.,

Stage II (6 - 11 yrs age): For this age group, based on the request from the Villagers, we start primary schools in the Villages and give education to the children. We send trained volunteers to conduct the program. We concentrate mainly on developing the understanding of the Nature, understanding of the Human being in society and understanding of Freedom, in the child.

In these Village Learning centers on an average 60 students get education in each center. We also provide books and mid-day meal to the children. Emphasis is given to games and sports, cultural programs, etc. After 5^th Standard, the students will write the government entrance test and go for further studies in Government Schools.

With the enactment of Right to Education (RTE) Act by the Government in 2010, VRO has planned to send the Children to Government Schools. The children enjoy many privileges.

Stage III (12 - 16 yrs age): This stage of education is called Basic Productivity Training Center [Basic Livelihood Training Center]. We select the school drop-outs in this age group from the Villages (boys and girls separately) and admit them in our training centers and give free education, skill training (tailoring & embroidery, carpentry, welding, and other handicrafts) and leadership training. The trainees stay for a period of one year in our centers. For each skill, there is one trained instructor in each centre. After completion of the training, they will be given opportunities to work in the Villages in the form of setting up of workshops and train other youth in the Villages. The objective of this program is to train the Village youth as skilful leaders.

The following training programs have been discontinued at present.

Stage IV (17 - 20 yrs age): This program is called Village Forestry Training Centre (VFTC). Village Learning Guides Training Centre (VLGTC) for boys and Village Health and Child Development Guides (VHCDG) Training program for the girls. This is one year residential training for VFTC and for VHCDG, and after successful completion of the training, they will be assigned in Villages to work as apprentices. The girls will be sent to the Villages to work as balwadi teachers. In VLGTC training, the program is for two years. We train the youth as trainers for primary learning estates. For each program there is a curriculum prepared by the experienced volunteers under the guidance of Prof. M.A. Windey, the Director of VRO.

Stage V (20 - 25 yrs age): Village Management Training Program. Under this, we select the active youth from the Villages and train them in Village activities like Village order, environment, sanitation, maintenance, organising the Village meetings, problem solving, development of education, health care, etc. They will be visiting Villages to conduct Village meetings to explain these aspects and strengthen the Village councils.

Stage VI (Above 25 yrs age): Continuous education is meant for the adults in the Villages to attain Functional Literacy.

6. HEALTH CARE:

To realise an alternative health service in the Villages, complementing the existing health program provided by others. more...

Health, Water & Sanitation

We have 17 Community Health Service Centers functioning in the micro and remote Villages. The VRO health workers try to motivate the Villagers through health education classes especially focusing on preventive Health measures for improving their Health status since “Health is considered as Wealth” . The patients with major and serious ailments are referred to the local Government or private hospitals. We also conduct Health camps (free) for the people in Villages with the assistance of local doctors. Of late, in 2011, the VRO has been collaborating with JMJ Sisters to improve the capacity of our Health Workers. VRO is grateful to Sr. Sujatha JMJ for conducting a two-day workshop every month from June, 2010 onwards to enable the Health Workers to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge.

Our focus is more on Preventive measures rather than on Curative aspects.

7. CONSTRUCTION: The original objective has been to involve youth from the Villages in the integrated Community Building programmes, oriented towards acquiring building- related skills for better livelihoods and leadership formation. more...

Construction

First and foremost, the Villagers used to submit an application to VRO requesting to develop their Village. Under this programme, VRO selected the poor, small and remote Villages which were interested in comprehensive Village Development. Prior to selection of a Village, the prerequisite conditions, for a Community Development Partnership Programme, was explained to the Villagers. And they were led through the various tests towards the reliasation of the goal “to develop their Village”. This was done through their participation. It is a long process of learning for the Villagers. Thereafter the Village Contact Persons (VCPs) attend the meetings conducted in the near-by VRO centres in order to learn the methodology of VRO functioning. They also visited the old Villages which were built by VRO to see for themselves and interact with Villagers to understand as to how they worked hard and developed their Village.

Normally, the testing process takes a longer period. Sometimes it could be even two years Meanwhile, we prepare a detailed project proposal and send it to the sponsors abroad. The common site was cleared and made into one plot, and the village boundaries were fixed, layout with clear roads was prepared. The Village Council was trained during the period to take responsibility for the completion of the programme. At the end of the above process , the foundation stone was laid either by the foreign visitors if any, or with the local Govt. officials.

Then the Villagers started making roads, dug drains as per the new Village layout, also started preparations for tree plantation. If there was not much water facility in the Village, a bore-well was dug. Meanwhile, information on availability of building materials would be collected, quotations obtained and all preparations would be made to commence work in the village. In the beginning, the beneficiaries did not know where their house was located. we build the Village in a learning aspect. The youth from the Village were motivated to learn construction skills like carpentry, rod bending, centering, masonry, etc., during the construction. The school drop-outs joined our BPTCs to learn skills in the VRO Center. The adults in the Village were taught to read and write their names and small words. During the construction period, the attendance of the beneficiaries was taken, for the number of days they were present in the work. After completion of the Village, basing on the presence in the work, the houses were allotted to the beneficiaries. The process of Village building programme was recorded in a file, and after the completion of the building programme a convenient date is fixed to inaugurate the Village, with the presence of the sponsors or by the local government officials. The people gave a new name to the Village. During the inauguration; the Villagers took a solemn oath saying that they would take part in the maintenance and improvement of the Village in all aspects.

Perspectives of Construction

1. Architecture is the best and perfect science because it needs all other sciences like Physical science, Environmental science, Social science, Climatology, Geology and so on. And building is learning.

2. Architecture is also a safety/security factor. For instance, after a cyclone we build houses for safety. So also, a house is a safety measure against fire. A house is an asset, too.

3. A house is a factor of dignity. A person is judged in accordance with the house he or she owns. The work on a house is never finished. One can always make an improvement on it.

4. A house also gives a sense of freedom. The owner of a house feels that he / she is not a beggar, is not on the streets.

5. We build a house normally for a family.

8. CULTURE & COMMUNICATION: To preserve and protect the Village marginal culture and to produce and expand the cultural media. more...

Culture & Communication

Basing on the culture and customs of the people, we encourage the people to develop their culture. We also make some paintings in the Villages to understand and to follow up.

To understand the VRO philosophy, we explain to the Villagers in the form of pictures made on cloth. We also make paintings exhibition in our annual meetings. On each sector activity, we make a poster to explain to the Villagers, new volunteers and to the trainees in our centers. We also prepare newsletters with the latest developments in different Villages. We also organize and train the Village youth in cultural programs. We also organize Village cultural competitions to promote and to encourage Villages.

9. ORGANISATION: To develop youth activities, co-operatives, women's groups and Panchayat Grama Shakti programmes. more...

Organisation

This sector is mainly concerned with the leadership training development of Village councils, youth clubs and Mahila Mandals. Every week we conduct Villagers' meetings in our Regional / Circle bases and explain the various developmental issues in Villages. At the same time, we train them in organizing the Village meetings, how to approach the government or non- governmental organizations for Village development activities, how to solve the Village problems, etc. We also explain the role of youth in Villages, and the importance of savings programme.

A couple of year ago, we started a new programme called "Gram Shakti" to train the Village council members and Village panchayat sarpanches and members those who are not aware of the duties and responsibilities. We give priority to the SC and ST sarpanches and members and explain to them their duties and responsibilities. At the same time we also invite the government panchayat officials to guide them and to explain what are the resources available for the panchayats and how to approach and use the same. We also train them in maintenance and improvement of their Villages with their participation.

10. ROURCE DEVELPMENT To develop the available resources of land, forest, animals and various associated skills. more...

Resource Development

This program is focused mainly to find sources to run the various programs through gardens, fields, trees, friends, government, savings, contributions from Villagers, visitors etc.

At the same time we also contact the friends and well -wishers abroad to increase the resources available to run the programs.

Resource development to lead truly to freedom.

Meaning of Resources:

“Resources” indicates the “means” of existence, “revenue” to meet the expenditure of life and growth.

These can be of two kinds: “income” and “assets”, depending on whether they are for regular expenditure, for “emergency/ security” purposes.

ACTIVITIES - Categories

Projects:

  -- Village Re-building Activities
                           
              --Village Construction

  -- Micro Projects

-- Community Halls

-- Water Tanks

-- Drinking Water Bore- Wells

-- Income Generation Projects (IGPs)

-- Alternative Livelihood Development

           Programs:

      -- Community Child Care Program (CCCP)

                              -- Health Program (HP)

                              -- Village Learning Program (VLP) [Transit Schools]

                              -- Other Program (OP)

        -- Women Empowerment

         -- Skill Development

         -- Leadership

         -- Village Contact Persons’ (VCP) Meetings

         -- Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs)

         -- Community Based Organisations (CBOs)

         -- Forestry & Nurseries (Ecological Development)

         -- Small Savings & Credit Programs (SSCPs)

           Service Centers:

            -- Basic Productivity Training Center (BPTC)

                                    -- Children’s Village (CV)

                                    -- Child Labor Rehabilitation Center (CLRC)

                                    -- Village Development Training Center (VDTC) – VHCDG / VYTC / YfW

                                    -- Village Learning Center (VLC)

                                    -- Old Age Home (OAH)