Background Information for Proposed New Twin Institute

with St. Joan of Arc Parish Family

St. Joan of Arc Center for Integral Development  (JACID)

PURPOSE:

To establish a facility that will accelerate community development, and to provide intervention strategies to address issues of education, vocational training and employment opportunities in the southern region of Tamil Nadu which encompass the civil districts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and  Kanyakumari India.  These strategies will take into account the various dimensions of the cultural heritage of this population to respond to the existing grass roots efforts, this proposal has evolved from experience in working with the poor people who live in the rural, remote villages of three districts.

BACKGROUND:

Tirunelveli District is a vast area.  Agriculture is the main occupation, which depends on monsoons and ground water for irrigation.  The illiteracy rate is so high because of the prevailing poverty, ignorance and lack of interest. The majority of parents are not willing to send their children to schools. They take their children with them to the fields or to the palm production areas.  Migration is a major issue to be addressed.

Tuticorin District is located along the Bay of Bengal; with a population of nearly 1, 200, 000.  The capital of the district is Tuticorin town, which is known for its natural harbor.  This town is a business center, and a developing industrial area. The major occupations are agriculture and fishing.

Kanyakumari District is situated on the southern most tip of Indian subcontinent and it is also the confluence point of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.  The territorial features of this district are the lovely scenery. Kanyakumari district is one of the smallest districts of Tamil Nadu.

Category	Tirunelveli	Tuticorin	Kanyakumari
Population	2, 801,194	1,565,743	1,669,763
Literacy	68.5%	75.64%	85.38%
Birth Rate	19.4	18.7	17.2
IMR*	32	32	17
MMR**	1.6	2.6	0.8

* = Infant Mortality Rate
** = Maternal Mortality Rate
Source:  Monthly report of Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai.  May 6, 2001

The South Region of the three districts have a total population of nearly one million people, living in about 400 villages and hamlets.  Though the ultimate aim is to target the developmental needs of the entire population, the initial efforts will be targeted to the most deserving pocket of the Region, which consists of  rural people from about 50 villages. This area is a backward, tropical drought prone area that is not suitable for agriculture.  Nonetheless, agriculture is the main occupation of nearly 85% of the people, who get only seasonal employment in the field.  Among them, only 25% are small and marginal farmers, and the remaining 60% are landless agricultural laborers. Other employment opportunities are extremely limited in this area.  The average income of most of the families is below Rs. 6,000 ($130.00) per year.  Hence, they live a hand to mouth existence.

The proposed project area does not have industry, wealth, educational growth, public amenities or medical relief that is available in urban areas.  They also lack the invigorating conditions of healthy rural living with natural gifts.  Hence, many people of productive age migrate to other cities in search of a reasonable income to maintain their families.  The overall literacy rate is 76%, which is less than that of the adjoining districts.  The literacy rate of women is 68.5%.  Early marriage, frequent birth, hazardous labor, and low nutritious food contribute to deteriorating health of women.  An alarming fact is that the Tirunelveli district has the highest maternal mortality rate in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Religiously, the vast majority of the population is Hindu, although the area also has accommodated Buddhism, Islam and Christianity.  Christians of different denominations live in missionary centers established by foreign missionaries in the past.  Catholics live in the coastal villages, and some in the interior villages.  They constitute only about 18% of the total population.

The main targets of the intervention are for the rural boys and girls who have completed tenth and twelfth grade who are unable to attend college in need of vocational training through formal education, the dropout boys and girls and rural women  in need of non-formal education, especially the downtrodden (those who are illiterate and for all age groups).  As the needs of these categories are different, appropriate strategies will evolve to respond to their needs.

RATIONALE:

The advent of globalization has caused extensive damage to the life of the working peasants, especially women, in these rural areas.  Traditional sources of employment for the vast majority of rural youth has been agriculture.  However, today agriculture has become unprofitable.  Many areas of land remain uncultivated due to lack of rain.  

Hence, unemployment is rampant, which impacts migration, and wages.  These courses will help them to have knowledge of vocational skills and give more employment opportunities.

OBJECTIVES: 

The main objective of the proposal is to enhance the skills of these marginalized rural people by training them in income generating activities.  Specifically:

1. Identification of the marginalized rural population, and appropriate trades to raise their income.
2. To provide vocational training to the rural youth (males and females), and to prepare them for better employment opportunities through formal education.
3. To provide counseling and career guidance to the youth.
4. To equip the rural women with productive skills to enable them to support themselves through non-formal education.
5. To create links with the government, industries, businesses and other agencies to facilitate marketing opportunities.
6. To educate the people about financial planning, and to promote the habits of  thrift and saving.
7. To impart value education and to enable holistic health and development.

 PROPOSED STRATEGIES:

 The major strategies proposed are the following:

 Capacity Building:

	Construction of the training center
	Purchase of machinery and equipment
	Recruitment of staff
	Orientation of staff

 Training:

	Adolescent boys and girls
	Rural women

 Links:

	Government departments and agencies
	Production centers
	Business establishments
	Indigenous practitioners

  Value Education:

	On thrift and savings
	On holistic development

Methods -- Capacity Building

The first priority is to develop the necessary infrastructure with the required building, machinery, tools, equipment and staff.  This includes the following:

• Constructions of a training center and hostel facilities
• Purchase of machinery and equiptment
• Recruitment and training of staff
• Researching, writing and evaluating curriculum
• Advertisement
• Enrollment
• Management
• Evaluation

Location:

Nine acres of land will be used to construct the training center and to conduct the program.  This place is centrally located, with easy access via public transport as well as by walking from nearby villages.  Further, hostel facilities will be available to deserving students who live far away.  It is expected that the entire process of establishing this center with adequate infrastructure and proper manpower would take about one year.

 Methods -- Training:  (Formal & Non-Formal)

Training in various areas will be evolved to cater to the developmental needs of the target population.  The main focus will be to sustain the rural economy, so that the village people will be able to find jobs in their home area or in a nearby village. The potential trades that will be taught will be those which use local resources, are easy to learn, require minimum technical skill, yield reasonable income, are viable throughout the year, are locally marketable, and acceptable to the rural people.  The following courses are proposed to specific populations:

Formal Education for Adolescent Boys and Girls:

Hotel Management, Office Management, Computer Hardware, Cargo Management and Marine Engineering, Windmill Mechanism, Interior Decoration, ANM-Nursing, Pre-School Teacher Training.

Non-Formal Education for Rural women:

Tailoring and Embroidery, Mat Weaving, Basket and Flower Making and Palm Products.

 Methods -- Links:

Once the people are trained, they will require assistance with referrals and linkages to find employment.  Therefore it is planned to establish working relationships with various government departments, production centers, various business establishments, NGOs and other agencies.

These linkages will help the newly trained people to find placements, to buy raw materials, to purchase necessary items for their trades, to sell their products and to acquire new skills.

Methods --Value Education: 

The aim of the proposal is not only economic development, but also holistic development of the people.  Value education will be an integral part of the course that will include human values, thrift and savings, and holistic development.  This additional training will help them to practice Christian values, and will enable them to command deserved respect from others.

COUNSELING AND CAREER GUIDANCE:

Another important area of focus will be to enable the newly trained persons to find a better placement, or to begin profitable self-employment.  A career guidance center will be established within the center to consolidate and disseminate job information and opportunities to the trainees.  Advice and information will be provided regarding job preparation and performance.  Some of the potential sources of employment are in the industries in nearby industrial towns. The career office also will assist with the facilitation of self-employment ventures in the areas of technical guidance, procurement of raw materials, marketing assistance and expansion of trades.

PROPOSED STAFF:

The following staff structure is visualized to implement the project:

• Director
• Principal
• Instructors
• Counselor
• Steno/Accountant

DURATION OF THE PROJECT:

This project will be implemented over the course of Sixteen Months ( 1 1/2 years).

First twelve months:  Establishment of the training center, identification of trades, and beneficiaries, and development of the infrastructure.  This establishment process will include a rapid study of the raw materials available, and the marketing potential.

Last four months:   Full development of the center, and identification of resources to sustain the center.  The major expenses would be salary to the staff and maintenance.  A small portion of the expenses may need external assistance, for which sources could be identified.

 PROPOSED CALENDAR OF DEVELOPMENT:

 First twelve months: (March '04 to March '05)

	Construction of the training center (St. Joan of Arc Center for Vocational Training)
	Purchase of machinery and equipment

 Last four months:  (April '05 to July '05)

	Recruitment of staff and orientation
	Development of curriculum and standards
	Enrollment
	Establishing linkages

 Second and Third Years:

	Training of adolescent boys and girls
	Establishing additional linkages
	Developing and delivering value education
	Developing and operating career guidance center

 EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

 The following benefits are expected to occur both directly and indirectly to the target population:

	Within a year, at least 200 rural adolescents by formal education and 100 rural women by non-formal education would be trained in different income generating skills.
	At least 100 boys and girls would be placed and another 100 would be practicing in the learned skills to earn income and to maintain their families.
	The social status of women would improve as a direct result of their learned skills and increased earning potential.
	There will be improved living conditions in the rural and remote areas.