Hari Om and
Welcome to CORD Training Centre at Sidhbari (formerly known as the Chinmaya
Rural Primary Health Care & Training Center [CRPHC&TC]) under Chinmaya
Tapovan Trust (CTT). CORD is now a national trust geared towards greater
outreach in other parts of the country. We are located in the small village of
Sidhbari in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. Our project is a
comprehensive integrated rural development and women’s empowerment program,
initiated with the grace of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda in 1985. Our NGO has a variety of programs in progress
and we welcome Interns & Volunteer to join, learn and contribute along with
us. Our indicator for development and progress is self-respect and we must
focus on motivating people on the path to self-reliance. We hope that some of the following
information may help you in deciding which program you might be interested in
as well as in adjusting to village life.
Programs:
The
following is a list (which is by no means exhaustive) of the programs we
conduct:
Mahila
Mandal (Village Women’s Group)
A village-level forum for
rural women to discuss personal and economic concerns as well as to participate
actively in common interests and issues of the villages. This is the nodal
group from which almost all programme in the community have arisen.
Yuva
Mandal (Youth Group)
The Yuva groups provide a
positive venue for young adults to communicate, question, face fears, and voice
concerns rather than look for crutches like alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
Unemployment is a principle challenge they face. In the groups, young people can learn about
trade skills and services that can create opportunities within their
communities. The idea is to harness their energies for village development.
Yuvti
Samuh (Adolescent Girls’ Group)
The Yuvti Samuh provides a
platform for young girls to discuss and promote education and trade skills
development. Additionally, girls learn about health issues, which are not
openly discussed in the family and/or the community.
Self-Help
Groups
Groups of women within the
Mahila Mandals and groups of youth within the Yuva Mandals learn and start the
process of small-scale savings and loans.
Micro-banking is introduced into the community and allows villagers to
access finances and to build capacities. Since 1999, CORD, in collaboration
with NABARD (National Agricultural Bank for Rural Development), has sensitized
more than 31,000 bank officers, government and non-government officers, and
functionaries to promote Self-Help Groups.
It has made micro finance accessible to the poorest of the poor.
Childern’s
Group (Balvihar Groups)
The Balwadi is a nursery
school in the villages that enrolls children from the age of two to six, and
provides a stepping-stone for them to enter regular school. Young minds are
exposed to spirituality, physical education, the alphabet, and numbers. Its adjunct, the Balvihar Program, is for
children above 6 years of age and includes mothers who discuss issues
concerning children and women in their immediate environment.
Income-Generation
Activities
Rural families earn their
livelihood through multiple means. CORD
offers a flexible approach to livelihood and encourages large numbers to
leverage their aptitudes. Diverse activities
including agriculture, horticulture, dairy, petty shops, food products, fabrics
(weaving, sewing, knitting, and embroidery), traditional arts and crafts,
bamboo and other non-timber forest products, and various services are
facilitated. Ensuring self reliance,
building operational management, and mainstreaming the micro-entrepreneurs into
the local markets is an integral part of the process.
Primary
Healthcare Services
Doctors in outpatient
clinics, village midwives, health guides, and community groups together promote
and manage health issues. Educating people, recognizing the role of midwives in
isolated villages and connecting to referral services is an integral part of
the program. Immunization, family
planning, nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation are promoted. Prevention of diseases from diarrhea to AIDS
is emphasized.
Social
Justice & Informal Legal Cell
Alcoholism remains a serious
issue in many villages of India, furthering the cycle of poverty and
violence. Alcohol is linked to domestic
violence and sometimes even child abuse. Social injustice and gender
discrimination are addressed through informal legal cells and counseling.
Victims interact with police and lawyers in a congenial, informal setting to
get both protection and justice whenever required.
Community
Based Rehabilitation Program for the disabled
Besides therapeutic
management, the CBR Program works on the inclusion and integration of the
disabled into the community with dignity.
This is part of CORD’s holistic approach. It addresses issues of
accessibility, education, and self employment and participates in policy
advocacy for the handicapped.
Natural
Resource Management
Over time, people have
developed apathy and indifference towards the environment. CORD is motivating and training people to
develop and implement micro-plans for managing and sustaining their natural
resources. It promotes the ‘interconnectedness’ of Jal, Jungle, Jameen, Jan,
Janwar, Jeevika and Jeevan (water, forest, land, people, animal, livelihood,
and life).
Strengthening
of Local Self Governance
CORD is aware that
people-centered and people-driven programs will need empowered participatory
involvement of the villagers rather than just local governance by elected
representatives. Strengthening the democratic process through Upgram Sabhas and
Gram Sabhas (General Body Councils) is thus an important component of its
village program.
Adult
Literacy
Adult literacy classes take
place weekly and allow village women to learn how to read and write. It takes a functional approach so that the
women learn to incorporate their literacy skills in their everyday lives such
as reading bus signs, dialing telephone numbers, keeping basic accounts and
records of their livelihood, and learning how to sign their name. It also allows young women in remote,
inaccessible villages to learn how to read and write. Becoming literate is important because it
heightens social awareness, enhances confidence, and increases the likelihood
of children becoming educated.
Alcohol
Abuse Awareness Program
Alcoholism is a big problem
in rural villages. Its social consequences include domestic violence, neglect,
unemployment, and lack of participation in village affairs. In new program,
CORD works with patients through counseling, education, and treatment. CORD
also educates ‘village resource people’ at trainings on the effects of alcohol
and how to discuss these issues in the community.
Computer
& Conversation English Classes for Rural Youth
Daily
computer classes allow rural youth to gain necessary computer skills for
employment. Students learn how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The English classes are held 10 km away from the centre in one of our field
site
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