Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK)

Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK)

“All the wealth of the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves”

These are some of the words of Swami Vivekananda that inspired a young Dr. Hanumappa Sudarshan to venture into the B R Hills region near Mysore and devote his life to the development of the native Soliga tribe.

The Beginning:

As a student of Bangalore Medical College, Dr. Sudarshan spent his free time helping the tribal’s of the Nilgiris with Dr.Narasimhan. after graduation, He was clear in his mind about the purpose of his life. One day in 1979, He took a solitary bus to the forlorn and perilous B R Hills, and his life changed forever.

Dr. Sudarshan in a tribal village:

Tribal people constitute 8.2% of the population of india. Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK) is committed to the holistic, sustainable development of tribal people, keeping in mind their socio-cultural background and their rights. VGKK now has 30 years of developmental experience with the soligas and other tribes in Chamrajnagar and Mysore districts of Karnataka and subsequent experiences with tribes in Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This experience has resulted in an integrated approach to tribal development with health, education, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation as the means to sustainable development and empowerment.

With the humble beginnings of a small hut on a rock, Dr. Sudarshan started operating his clinic with two staff members. The initial challenge was to find patients, as the sight of new people, especially people with needles and pills, was enough to frighten away the forest dwellers. However, as the doctor and his assistants became a common sight, and did not show any signs of going away, the tribal’s slowly gave into their curiosity and began approaching them. It took several ‘miracle’ cures for them to start trusting the medicine man.

The Purpose:

Thus was founded Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK) in 1981 for the improvement of these tribal lives. Once the treatments of Dr. Sudarshan found acceptance among the Soligas of B.R.Hills, tribals from neighbouring villages also started pouring in. Dr. Sudarshan and his team would conduct information sessions in all these small hamlets to educate the local population about their work. The tiny hospital began treating a number of ailments and VGKK’s pioneering work began to show results.

While the medical facility took off and became a huge success, Dr. Sudarshan found from living among the Soligas that only health care did not bring about lasting changes in the lives of these people. They lived in abject poverty and unawareness, and while curative treatment was a necessity, it was not the only one. These people needed a lot more.

Thus VGKK started adapting to the needs of the community and evolving into ways not envisioned in the beginning. It came to focus on 3 more aspects of tribal development – education, empowerment and livelihood support – in order to provide more sustained benefits.

Vision:

A self-reliant and empowered tribal society rooted in its culture and tradition, living in harmony and nature.

Mission:

Sustainable development of tribal people through rights-based approaches to health, education, livelihood security and biodiversity conservation.

Objectives:

 To implement a comprehensive, holistic, need-based, gender and culture sensitive, community-centered, system of health care integrating indigenous health traditions.

 To establish an education system that is specific to the tribal language, culture and environment.

 To promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest produce.

 To ensure livelihood security through sustainable agriculture, vocational training and value addition of forest produce.

 To empower tribal communities through sanghas (people’s organization) and women self-help groups.

Health Care:

The ‘hut on the rock’ is now a 20-bedded hospital with all necessary infrastructures – laboratory, x-ray facility, operation theatre and a well-stocked pharmacy. This hospital caters to a large population of tribal’s in the region, including some from neighboring Tamil Nadu as well, and offers them free treatment. The hospital maintains detailed case records of the tribal’s, and computerization of these records is ongoing.

The Soligas and other tribal’s are indigenous forest people and have extensive knowledge of nature cures and medicinal herbs. Dr. Sudarshan decided to nurture this aspect of traditional herbal cure, and incorporate it in his treatments. The medicinal plants have been identified and documented, and are grown separately for therapeutic purposes.

There are several communities of tribal’s living in very far flung and inaccessible forest areas which cannot be serviced by the BR Hills facility due to the immobility of these people. In the beginning they were served by Dr. Sudarshan with his medicine bags, traveling on foot to reach them. However, now a special mobile health unit comprising of a doctor, a pharmacist/health worker and a driver has been dispatched to visit these areas.

Special features:

 20 bedded tribal hospital with laboratory, x-ray and operation theatre providing free medical care.

 Telemedicine and screening for Rheumatic heart disease.

 Mobile Medical Unit.

 Community-based preventive, promotive and rehabilitative rpogrammes through local health workers.

 Sickle cell anemia research and screening work, training programme for dais, health workers and house surgeaons.

 Implementation of national health programmes – RCH, Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Epilepsy, Blindness control, Mental Health, Dental health and Community-based Rehab program.

 Nutrition, Safe-drinking Water and Sanitation.

 Traditional medicines and revitalization of local health tradition.

 Tribal auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) program.

Education:

Looking at the needs of the community, the small hospital hut also started serving as a school at nights.

The School in B R Hills:

Starting with a first batch of 6 students, the school has grown to a strength of 500 students, and now offers primary, secondary, high school, college and vocational training.

Dr. Sudarshan realized very early on that it was essential to help these Soliga children learn about their tribal traditions and keep them alive, in order to remain connected to their roots. So, along with studies, the school imparts knowledge on the several plant and animal species that abound in the nearby forests and the children are taught to cultivate vegetables, medicinal herbs, poultry, bees and silkworms.

Care has been taken to ensure that the children who are educated at this school are not left without means of livelihood, and have ample choices in life, which were perhaps not available to their parents.

Three among the first batch of students have completed their post-graduation, with one of them holding a PhD, a remarkable feat indeed. Most of the children who graduate from this school return to the community to help further education and other causes that VGKK stands for.

Special features:

 School (pre-school to class X) for more than 500 tribal girls and boys with hostel facilities for 200 students with a sports school.

 Four non-formal schools in remote forest areas.

 Pre-university college: arts and science.

 Industrial training institute.

 Job-oriented in forestry.

 Drama school.

 ANM training school.

 IGNOU study centre.

 BRD – 3 yrs course in rural development.

Vocational Training and Livelihood:

It became evident that primary and secondary education is not sufficient to guarantee a means of livelihood. In order to bridge this gap, the students and other members of the community were taught other skills like tailoring, knitting, spinning, silk, cotton and jute weaving, cane and bamboo works, baking, carpentry.

Vocational Training centre:

The project imparts training to women, men and school drop-outs in the various cottage industries like weaving, incense-stick making, coir-rope making, bakery, tailoring and knitting, handicraft, beekeeping, carpentry and printing.

The adverse living conditions in the forest with no land and other means of livelihood cause great hardship to the inhabitants. And the Soliga community is no exception. A vocational training scheme, therefore, assumes a vital role. Initially, the training Programmes were conducted mainly with the help of the District Industries Centre (DIC), Government of Karnataka. The subsidized bank loans to the trainees have helped immensely in setting up the cottage industry.

The project imparts training to women, men and school drop-outs in the various cottage industries like weaving, incense-stick making, coir-rope making, bakery, tailoring and knitting, handicraft, beekeeping, carpentry and printing.

The functionary; in charge of the vocational training centre, assisted by trained assistants, provides follow-up advice and support to start cottage industry units in distant hamlets. Continued technical advice and problem-solving efforts are also provided by VGKK.

This centre was started in 1997 with the help of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) Bangalore to help rural and tribal youth to gain self-employment.

 Agarbathi.

 Carpentry.

 Tailoring and knitting.

 Cane and bamboo craft.

 Notebook unit.

 Handmade paper unit.

 Honey processing.

 Food processing (with CFTRI, Mysore)

 Herbal medicine processing unit.

 Candle making.

 Mat weaving.

 Leaf – cup.

 Screen printing.

 Welding.

 Cloth weaving &

 Bakery.

The Vocational Training Centre (VTC) was set up in 1982, and since then has trained more than 700 girls and boys. Most of the trainees have then gone back to their villages and set up their micro-enterprises with the availability of loans.

Community service and Development:

The Soligas, like other tribes across the country, have been largely exploited by the government and local forest authorities. With no clear land titles and no formal education, it was easy for them to fall prey to scheming outsiders. It was essential to unite all the Soligas across the region, and give them a common voice for their petitions and struggle to be heard. This was accomplished with the organization of Sanghas in every village, which was a group of Soliga representatives, to fight for their rights. Most of their alienated land has been restored to them and Soliga candidates have done well in local elections as well.

Features:

 To facilitate people’s organizations (Soliga Abhivrudhi Kendra) at village, taluk and district levels. The ‘Sangha’ addresses problems thro’ their solidarity.

 Sanghas take part in planning and implementation of development programmes thro’ government and other agencies.

 Establishment of village resource centres in coloration with ISRO for tele-education, tele-agriculture livelihood opportunities and e-governance.

 Promote and strengthen Self Help Groups.

Community Organization:

 To organize tribal people, wipe out the fear and remove inaction in the community.

 To inculcate self-help and cooperation by making them aware of their potentials.

 To fight for implementation of constitutional rights for the tribals.

 To promote tribal culture and restore the old valuable practices like Nyaya (Justice).

 Help form Peoples Organization (Soliga Abhivrudhi Sangha) at village, taluk and district levels.

 The Sangha addresses problems through their solidarity.

 Sangha also takes part in planning and implementation of development programmes through Government and other agencies.

 Self Help Groups.

About 25,000 tribals in 5,000 families live in Kollegal, Yelandur Gundlepet Chamarajanagar and Nanjanagud taluk of Mysore district, spread over 150 villages. While Soliga, Bettakuruba and Jenukuruva are found in Gundlepet and Nanjanagud, in the other taluks only Soligas are found.

These people live on small agriculture in the forestland, labour, forest produce collection and also basket weaving. They count upon forest for their living.

People’s organizations formed by tribal’s themselves have been working for their development.

The SASs (Soliga Abhivriddi Sanghas) have opened offices at the taluka level and form the hard core functionary units.

As a federation of these taluk bodies, there is a district tribal development Sangha that has opened an office at Chamarajanagara.

The district federation is charged with the responsibility of steering the tribal development and organization of entire tribal population of the district.

NETWORKING AND ADVOCACY:

 Participation in “Tribal Joint Action”, a federation of voluntary organizations working for tribal people.

 Promotion of Tribal Federations.

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE CENTRE

(in collaboration with CAPART)

An expert centre for the ISRO-VIC network and support voluntary organization (SVO) and facilitation centre for CBR related projects. Capacity building of NGO’s and community-based organizations (CBOs) in the following technologies:

 Food Processing

 Organic Farming

 Herbal medicines conservation, cultivation, harvesting and marketing.

 Sustainable harvesting of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP).

 Alternative/Low cost building technologies.

 Watershed development.

CONSERVATION AND LIVEIHOOD SECURITY:

 Sustainable harvesting of NTFP and processing – honey, amla and herbal medicines.

 People’s action against forest fire, poaching and quarrying.

 Capacity building of tribal co-operatives.

 Environment education in the school

 Conversation education and eco-tourism

 Sustainable agriculture – organic farming and seed bank promotion.

The Person:

Dr. Sudarshan is a study in commitment and humility. The recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (1994) and the Padma Shri (2000) among many others, he brushes aside all his achievements with a sweep of a hand and a shy smile, and continues talking about the tasks he still needs to accomplish.

Dr. Sudarshan has been Vice-President of the Voluntary Health Association of India, and a member of the Independent Commission on Health in India, the National Commission on Population, the National Nutrition Mission, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Indian Planning Commission’s Steering Group for the development of Scheduled Tribes. As Chairman of the Task Force on Health & Family Welfare he has brought out a comprehensive report to reform the health system of Karnataka. As Ombudsman for Health, Education & Social Welfare, Karnataka Lokayuktha, he is fighting against corruption and promoting good governance to make the public services reach the poor including the tribal people.

Having pioneered the role of public private partnership in the social sector, Dr. Sudarshan manages more than 40 public health centers in Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh and now Orissa, in conjunction with the Government. This is part of a related organization founded by him called the Karuna Trust which focuses on rural development. The largest community health insurance program in India is also run under its aegis, which offers incredible benefits to the poor like insurance at ultra-low premiums of Rs. 30 per annum for wage loss compensation of Rs.50 per day. Such initiatives are what make Dr. Sudarshan the person he is. Greatly inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Albert Shweitzer, Dr. Sudarshan emanates urgency of purpose and tranquility of inner peace, both at once.

PS: DONATIONS TO THE SOCIETY ARE EXEMPT FROM INCOME TAX U/S 80 G OF THE INCOME TAX ACT.

Head Office
Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra
BR Hills - 571 441
Phone: 91 8226 244025
Mob: 9449599380
Email: vgkkbrh@sancharnet.in


Mysore office:

Plot no 81-81, Mysore-Ooty Road,

Near JSS Arts College,

Mysore - 570 025

tel : 0821 - 2480077

mail : vgkktrcmys@dataone.in

Bangalore Office


VGKK & Karuna Trust Office
# 686, 16th Main, Near 38th Cross
4th T Block, Jayanagar
Bangalore - 560 041
Phone: 91 80 22447612
Email: vgkk@vsnl.com




http://vgkk.org/