RWDS Annual Activity Report 2015-16 RURAL WORKERS DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY 2/1751, Om Sakthi Nagar 13th Street, Ramanathapuram – 623 503 Phone:04567230435 [email protected] 1 RURAL WORKERS DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY (RWDS) RAMANATHAPURAM - 623503 ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT FOR APRIL 2015 –MARCH 2016 Introduction: Rural Workers Development Society was founded in the year 2007 by a group of public minded leaders those who are effectively concerning in community development activities for more than three decades. It was registered under Tamilnadu Societies Registration Act vide Registration number 93/2007. Its head quarters are located in Ramanathapuram. RWDS is working among children, women, youth, farmers, rural unorganized workers especially Palmyrah Workers in Ramnad District. Target Area: State : Tamilnadu District : Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Tuticorin Blocks : Ramanathapuram, Kadalady, Tirupullani, Mandapam, Paramakudi, Tiruvadanai, Bogalur, Villathikulam and Devakottai. Vision: The socio economic development of the marginalized with emphasis on Palmyrah Workers, Women and Children 2 Mission: To mobilize and federate the Palmyrah workers irrespective of caste, creed or religion to organize for their livelihood issues. To make them understand their condition and motivate them to participate in their development through awareness generation. To improve their bargaining power and to link with Govt and formal institutions for self reliance and substances. To enable for adequate health and education to Children for better tomorrow. Working Areas: Ramanathapuram is situated along the Eastern coastal District of the Southern Tamilnad. The Bay of Bengal in the east, The Calf of manner in the whole sea shore, Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Virudhunagar,and Tuticorin constitute it boundaries. Spreading over an area of 4232 sq’km. It cradles a population of 12, 58,772 Persons. This District is divided in to 11 development Blocks and it has the highest population of urban population among the major districts. The incidence of poverty and drought is highest among the 30 districts. Ramnad has also a population of scheduled castes 28% children compose 27.2% of the population. Project operational area is the located in Ramanathapuram District in Southern part of Tamil Nadu (650 Km away from Chennai). Drinking water is acute problem. Women have to walk miles together to fetch water, and it is very difficult to get pure, soft and potable water irrespective of Government efforts. In brief Ramanathapuram is a most backward and underdeveloped district in terms of Socio- Economic and industrial development 3 AREA DETAILS: District - 1 Taluk - 2 Blocks - 3 Village - 52 General Board members S.no Name Position 1 D.R. Chandran President 2. P.Subramani Vice President 3. S. Sathaiah Secretary 4 G.Kalavathi Treasurer 5 S.Sathyasekaran EC Member 6 G.Pasupathy EC Member 7 P.Kannan EC Member 8 D.Kanagavalli GB Member 9 V.Soundra Malathy GB Member Strategy Coordinating all the Palmyra Workers in the form of Block, District and State Level Sangams to get all their existing resources from the Government Livelihood and welfare of the children of the Palmyra workers families would be focused through the Village, Block, District and State level Association 4 ACTIVITIES 1. CLC (Child Labor Committee) MEETING Prevention of child labor and mainstreaming them to education is one of our main objectives. We had identified 318 child labors among 4821 in our 52 target villages. Among them 70% of the child labors are in Kadaladi block. We had mobilized them as Child Labor Committee. The CLC has been actively functioning in 11 villages of Kadaladi block. In this committee they meet every week and enjoy the childhood. We had facilitated them to reenroll in schools and other technical institutions as the child wish. For this year we had conducted 38 meetings in which 59 boys and 108 girls were took part and benefited. Child Labor Committee Meeting In this meetings plastic wire basket making training given as alternative livelihood to 15 child labours from N.Kamarajapuram, Periyanayakipuram, PP Kudiyeruppu, Manickanagar and M.Gandhinagar villages. 5 2. CHILD LABOR PARENTS COMMITTEE We do number of activities to eradicate the child labor practice. To boost the activity we had decided to promote Parents Committee of Child Labor in our target villages. The committee can help us to generate more rapport with parents and give parents more understandings about the evils of child labor. During this year we had promoted Child Labor Parents Committee in 1.Ayyanarpuram, 2.Kannikapuri, 3.Puduvalasai, 4.Thavukadu, 5.Thamaraioorani, 6.N.Kamarajapuram, 7.Manickanagar, 8.Periya Mayakulam, 9.Selvanayakipuram, 10.Kila Allikulam, 11.Elanthaikulam, 12.Vellapatti, 13.Kuthiraimozhi Pandianagar villages. We had conduct meeting of this committee ones in two months and discussed about the demerits of child lobor practice. We had insisted about importance of child hood and education. 3. RESOLUTIONS AT GRAMA SABHA We facilitated the Palmyrah Sangam members and village volunteers to participate in the Gramasabha meetings held on 1st May 2015, 15th August 2015, 2nd October 2015 and 26th January 2016. Resolutions were passed (1)Puduvalasai Panchayat - drinking water facility to ICDS, Child labor free Panchayat, school dropout free Panchyat, child marriage free Panchyat and dowry free Panchayat, (2)Retaioorani Panchayat - water facility to toilet at Government Higher secondary school, school dropout free Panchayat, child marriage free Panchayat and child labor free Panchayat, (3)Kuthakottai Panchyat - road repair from Kuthakottai to Methalodai and Toilet facility to School and ICDS at Methalodai village, Child labor free Panchayat and School dropout free Panchayat (4)Naripaioor Panchayat - new building to ICDS of Periyanayakipuram, N.Kamarajapuram, Manickanagar and Veppamarathupanai villages, new primary school at Periyanayakipuram and child labor free Panchayat, school dropout free Panchayat. 6 4. MEETING WITH LABOR INSPECTOR OF RAMNAD & TUTICORIN Our organization has been taken more actions to prevent child labor practice in our target villages. This year we had collect child data of 52 target villages, in which child labor list was prepared. We had identified 318 child labor are in the target villages. To insist the Government to get into on the issue, we had have meetings with Inspector of Labor, Ramanathapuram on 14.07.2015 and Inspector of Labor, Tuticorin on 27.07.2015 and submitted memorandum of Child Labors in target villages. Inspector of Labor, Ramanathapuram had assured that he would take immediate action if we locate any child labor below 14 years. Inspector of Labor, Tuticorin had assured that he will take actions against child labor with line departments like Child Line, NCLP. 5. MEDICAL CAMP for Child Labors The child labors working in salt pane company is working in high heat and unhygienic place. They are suffering from skin disease and urinal problems. The child labor working in sea Food Company is working in high cold place and not wearing gloves. They also affected by skin disease, low hp and urinal and menstrual problems. We plan to monitor the health of the child labor of Salt Pane Company and Sea Food Company. For this purpose we did health checkup for ones in two months. In this health checkup 23 child labors from Periyanayakipuram, Manickanagar, Kamarajapuram, Vellapatti, Velayuthapuram, Kuthiraimozhil Panidanagar, Elanthaikulam and Boopandiapuram villages were benefited. 7 6. CC (Children Collective) MEETING Children age between 6 and 18 in the target villages has organized as a committee to develop their social education and practice the right to participation. Every children age between 6 and 18 are the members of these collectives. The collective meets every week to discuss and share about their wishes. We had given training on leadership, RTE, and comics drawing. The collectives are connected as cluster level as Koravalli, Kilakarai, Uchipulli, Tirupullani, Naripaiyur and Kavakulam. Children Committee Meeting Educational Welfare Scheme Availed from Government: Scheme Children Particulars Total Amount 10th Standard 0+41 Rs.1000 x 41 41000 10th Pass 25+19 Rs.1000 x 44 44000 11th Standard 0+29 Rs.1000 x 29 29000 12th Standard 0+49 Rs.1500 x 49 73500 12th Pass 15+17 Rs.1500 x 32 48000 Degree 15+54 Rs.1500 x 69 103500 Post Graduate 2+8 Rs.3000 x 10 30000 8 BE 31+9 Rs.4000 x 40 160000 ME 2+1 Rs.5000 x 3 15000 Polytechnic 1+3 Rs.1000 x 4 4000 Total 91+230 321 children 548000 7. Children Committee Cluster Meetings: All the 52 Children Committees are connected as cluster to promote their leadership quality in broad. There are clusters namely Koravalli, Kilakarai, Uchipulli, Naripaiyur, Kavakulam, Mayakulam, and Tirupullani. In these cluster meetings, they had discussed about the children issues and needs as a cluster. If any issue need cluster level approach it will be discussed. Cluster meeting of Children Committee Cluster Meetings Conducted: Name of Cluster Date & Place Place Tirupullani 16.08.15 Methalodai South 13.12.15 Methalodai North Kavakaulam 25.04.15 Kavakulam 16.08.15 Adenchery 9 11.10.15 Melakidaram 24.01.16 S.Kamarajapuram Koravalli 22.02.16 Vellariodai 24.04.15 Ammapattinam 18.07.15 Chinnarettaioorani 04.10.15 Kumbaram Sayalkudi 26.04.015 Boopandiapuram 13.06.15 Boopandiapuram Kilakarai 13.10.15 Maruthanthoppu 19.07.15 Lakshmipuram 8. CHILDRENSDAY CELEBRATION Children day was celebrated in Sengalaneerodai, Nathakulam, Kavakulam, Pudumayakulam, Murugananthapuram,