Kirkspire january 2007
St Andrew’s Church Village Project
rural development project
Murdoch MacKenzie
By August 1975 the ethos of the Village Project was being summed up in the words of the old Chinese poem:
Go to the people
Live among them
Learn from them
Love them
Start with what they know
Build on what they have
And remember that of the best of leaders
When their task is accomplished
And their work is done
The people will remark
“We have done it ourselves.”
Contact was being made with 22 villages in 5 panchayats, bank loans were being negotiated relating to cows and buffaloes, six young boys were being trained at Madras Christian College farm and another 6 at Katpadi Agricultural Institute. On 15th August a coach-load and some carloads of people left the church at 8.45 am visited Ponneri, Thirupalaivanam, Thodimedu, Polasiamankulam, Pralayampakkam and Pulicat and returned to the Kirk at 6.15 pm. The national flag was hoisted by Mrs Marianna Cassidy of the U.S.A in connection with Independence Day and the International Year for Women. Mrs Padmini Kingsley gave a spirited address stressing the significance of Independence Day with reference to rural development. The children of the Panchayat School performed musical items and a drama called ‘Kattaboman’ and sweets were distributed. There was also a fancy dress programme. Later on there was a picnic at Pulicat and on the way home a visit to a well recently dug with aid from C.A.S.A.
In October students from the Madras School of Social Work had their RURAL WORK CAMP in Thirupalaivanam. Led by Mr George Oomen, forty-six students spent a week, with dormitory arrangements arranged by the Community Development Officer. It was gratifying that the group consisted of young men and women, of diverse background and training, who were keen to acquire first hand experiences of rural life. Having come to know the villagers, RCAP latrines were then built, chlorination of drinking water was initiated, likewise an immunisation programme, and patching up of roads took place. A film was shown to explain ante-natal and post-natal care of children and this attracted almost the entire population of the village. The fifth day of the camp was spent in constructing soak pits as models, and an evening programme included entertainment by the school children of the locality and talks about youth clubs. On the sixth day garbage pits were dug and their use in disposal of litter demonstrated. In the evening a Valedictory Programme was arranged at which Rev M MacKenzie distributed prizes to the village children for athletic activities and entertainment programmes. The Block Development Officer and Headmaster of the School attended the function. On 1st November 1975 a final survey of the project areas was made. The students of the School of Social Work expressed boundless joy and were thrilled to have had the opportunity of being exposed to rural life and conditions of living especially among the Harijans.
Thus by the end of 1975 the local village people were much better motivated towards education, adult literacy, personal and environmental hygiene and the importance of safe drinking water. They also began to realise that one of the duties of the Government was to assist in and promote their welfare. After two years the Village Project was really beginning to make a difference.
Murdoch MacKenzie
By August 1975 the ethos of the Village Project was being summed up in the words of the old Chinese poem:
Go to the people
Live among them
Learn from them
Love them
Start with what they know
Build on what they have
And remember that of the best of leaders
When their task is accomplished
And their work is done
The people will remark
“We have done it ourselves.”
Contact was being made with 22 villages in 5 panchayats, bank loans were being negotiated relating to cows and buffaloes, six young boys were being trained at Madras Christian College farm and another 6 at Katpadi Agricultural Institute. On 15th August a coach-load and some carloads of people left the church at 8.45 am visited Ponneri, Thirupalaivanam, Thodimedu, Polasiamankulam, Pralayampakkam and Pulicat and returned to the Kirk at 6.15 pm. The national flag was hoisted by Mrs Marianna Cassidy of the U.S.A in connection with Independence Day and the International Year for Women. Mrs Padmini Kingsley gave a spirited address stressing the significance of Independence Day with reference to rural development. The children of the Panchayat School performed musical items and a drama called ‘Kattaboman’ and sweets were distributed. There was also a fancy dress programme. Later on there was a picnic at Pulicat and on the way home a visit to a well recently dug with aid from C.A.S.A.
In October students from the Madras School of Social Work had their RURAL WORK CAMP in Thirupalaivanam. Led by Mr George Oomen, forty-six students spent a week, with dormitory arrangements arranged by the Community Development Officer. It was gratifying that the group consisted of young men and women, of diverse background and training, who were keen to acquire first hand experiences of rural life. Having come to know the villagers, RCAP latrines were then built, chlorination of drinking water was initiated, likewise an immunisation programme, and patching up of roads took place. A film was shown to explain ante-natal and post-natal care of children and this attracted almost the entire population of the village. The fifth day of the camp was spent in constructing soak pits as models, and an evening programme included entertainment by the school children of the locality and talks about youth clubs. On the sixth day garbage pits were dug and their use in disposal of litter demonstrated. In the evening a Valedictory Programme was arranged at which Rev M MacKenzie distributed prizes to the village children for athletic activities and entertainment programmes. The Block Development Officer and Headmaster of the School attended the function. On 1st November 1975 a final survey of the project areas was made. The students of the School of Social Work expressed boundless joy and were thrilled to have had the opportunity of being exposed to rural life and conditions of living especially among the Harijans.
Thus by the end of 1975 the local village people were much better motivated towards education, adult literacy, personal and environmental hygiene and the importance of safe drinking water. They also began to realise that one of the duties of the Government was to assist in and promote their welfare. After two years the Village Project was really beginning to make a difference.
Murdoch MacKenzie
