Report on

Internship with Rural Uplift Centre(RUC)

Nagercoil
AC& RI ,KillikulamTNAU

Group members:
• D.Durgadevi (05-418)
• M.Geetha (05-422)
• M.Geetha (05-423)
• S.Geetha (05-424)
• G.Gohila (05-425)
• G.Gomathi (05-426)
• M.Jayalakshmi (05-430)

Placement:
As a part of our undergraduate degree programme attachment with NGO, we
are place in Rural Uplift Centre (RUC) located at Nagercoil for a duration of fifteen days.

Introduction:
Rural Uplift Centre (RUC) was established on 1981 in the Kanyakumari
district at the village Thumpali by a group of social workers and college students .Their
main objective is to attain self-reliance of the poor people. Their major role is policy
advocacy with the government.

Activities:
 Promoting working people development association
 Empowering Beedi workers with their norms and self-reliance
 Promoting Organic farming or chemical free Agriculture training
 Working for Womens Rights
 Skill training through the community college
 Creche programme
 Disaster Risk Reduction Programme
 Micro level credit Programme
 Sustainable development of marginalized people of three districts i.e.
Tirunelveli,Tuticorin and Kanyakumari

Target groups:
Womens, Tribals, Youths, Small and Marginal farmers, Labourers and
Fisherman.
Experiences

Organic Farming field

Objectives:

 Control over the technology with the farmers

 Go for research on organic farming
 Promoting subsidies for farmers doing organic agriculture during
land reclamation period

Azhagappapuram:

We had visited the organic farming field located at Punarkulam,

Azhagappapuram. There we met Mr. Arul Michael Henry organic farmer. He had already
undergone organic farming training in RUC for a period of four years. Based on the skill
acquired from the training he had practically done organic farming. The crops cultivated
in his field are Coconut intercropped with Banana and Thipilli. For coconut tree he had
given the waste of Banana and coconut waste as manure apart from 3feet radius of the
tree and up to 7feet.The coconut tree he had planted is a local variety .In Banana, he had
cultivated all varieties for e.g. Matti,Red banana,Robusta,Karpuravalli,Palayamkotan etc.
 Apart from this the allied activities of him include Bee-keeping,
Vermicompost preparation and coir pith compost demonstration plot.

He shared his experience with us. He told that “Through organic farming I
can reduce the cost of fertilizer easily recycle the waste with composting in beneficial
way. I can also get higher yield and high quality of the produce.

Kaliyal:

We had visited the organic farming field located at Kaliyal. There we met
Mr. Sathyanesan an organic farmer. The major crops grown are Rubber and Banana.

There we had observed a Coconut tree bearing more number of nuts with no
irrigation. His total farm area is around 10Acres. The other allied activities of him include
piggery and livestock. He had more than hundreds of pigs.
The farmer is doing research on Anthurium cultivation on ground itself.
Organic farming training:

There are two levels of organic farming training conducted by RUC.

They are:
• Foundation training(Initial stage)
• Intensive training

For Foundation training the candidates are selected based on interview with
their land holding and organic farming sources i.e. Livestock. Foundation course
trainings are conducted in five zones like Marthandam, Kurunthancode, Mylaudy,
Moolachel and Thittuvilai (Mathias Nagar) For Intensive training the candidates are
selected based on their involvement in the Foundation training. Normally Foundation
training is conducted for duration of one year. Each zone is having a strength of forty
beneficiaries.

We had attended the two levels of training in Kurunthancode. Really the

trainings conducted by them in a fantastic manner. To boost the farmers during training
“awareness about organic farming songs are sung. During the training the farmers
brought their organic products for exhibition. Finally the organic products are sold by
open auction method. This auction is the mark of the training. The subjects covered
include different types of Farming, Seed treatment methods, Plant Protection measures,
Kitchen garden ,Roof garden and allied activities include Apiary, Duck farming without
pond, Vermicompost, Coir pith compost etc. The number of classes every year during
training is 12 days.

Organic Farmers Association:

To link the farmers who had undergone training on organic farming,

Organic Farmers Association is there. It is due to the great effort of RUC. The association
was run by well trained organic farmers. The major function of this association is to fight
for their norms and schemes needed with the government.

Rural community college:

Rural Community College (RCC) was established on 1999. We had visited

RCC located at Nanguneri . Nanguneri is one of the most backward Taluks of Tirunelveli
district. There are no technical education centres, industries and irrigation facilities. In
order to get the skillful training and gainful employment to the marginalized rural youths
and school dropouts the RCC was started.

The Mark of RCC:

The RCC impart life skills, work skills, internship in the work place and
preparation for employment.

Courses offered:
Diploma courses:

 Diploma in Computer Applications

 Diploma in Computer Technology
 Diploma in Maintenance and servicing of Home Appliances
( Electrical & Electronics)
 Diploma in Pre-Primary Teacher training
 Diploma in DTP operator
 Diploma in Catering Assistant
  Diploma in House Electrician
Certificate Courses:

 Electrical Technician ( 1 year)

 Radio & T.V Technician (1 year)
 Radio & Tape Recorder Repairing ( 6 months)
 T.V Repairing ( 6 months)
 House wiring & Electrical Appliances repairing (6 months)
 Certificate in Computer Application (1 year)
 Certificate in Hardware assembly and maintenance ( 6 months)
 Certificate in DTP ( 6 months)
 Cutting, Tailoring & Dress making ( 1 year )

We had attended the “Inaugural function of 10 th Batch students and

Valedictory function of 9th Batch students”. Then we met Mr. R. Thigagasamy Principal
of RCC. He had discussed with us about the functioning of RCC. He told that we assure
100% employment to the students of RCC.

Creche programme:

Creche programme was started at Nanguneri on 1985. Mostly the people

living around Nanguneri are Farmers and Beedi workers. They are not able to care their
children during day time. This creates the necessity of crèches. Previously twelve crèche
programmes are run by RUC in Nanguneri Taluk. But now only four crèches are
functioning. The children admitted to crèches are in between the age of one and half to
five years. Normally the crèche functions between 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

In the crèche programme five types of skills are covered in the syllabus.
They are:

 Motor Development
 Physical Development
 Knowledge Development
 Social Development
 Language Development

Variety lunch and nutritionally balanced snacks are given to the children.
Apart from this parents meetings are conducted monthly once. During this meeting
training is conducted to parents about the “Nutritionally balanced food preparation”.
Their main activities during working hours for children are story telling, songs and
games. Each crèche is having a staff strength of eight members among them four are
Pre-Primary Teachers and four Ayas.

Beedi Workers Rights Programme:

 RUC had worked for beedi workers rights in Tirunelveli & Tuticorin
Districts. Due to the effort of RUC the government of Tamil Nadu assured to give
Passbook, Gratuity, Provident fund, Bonus and necessary raw materials for their work.

Womens Rights Programme:

RUC is working for the “Empowerment of Womens”. RUC conducts

trainings to the womens and creating awareness about their rights. RUC also handles the
cases of Womens who are affected by any of the means such as dowry, domestic violence
etc. Through the effort of RUC “Protection of women from Domestic Violence Act” was
passed on the year 2005.

Disaster Risk Reduction Programme:

In this programme RUC conducts training for Youths and Childrens to

protect from flood and drought. During the training the subjects covered are:

o Acceptable Risk
o Biological Hazard
o Building Codes
o Capacity Building
o Climate change
o Community, Capacity assessment
o Community Hazard assessment
o Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR)
o Community Risk assessment
o Community Vulnerability assessment
o Disaster Risk management
o Disaster Risk reduction
o Early Warning
o Ecosystem
o Forecast
o Forewarning
o Frequency
o Mitigation
o Period of occurrence
o Prevention
o Readiness
o Resilient
o Speed of onset
o Survivability
o Reconstruction
 o Rehabilitation
o Risk
o Sustainable development
o Technological Hazards

Tsunami Rehabilitation:

Through this programme the RUC offered temporary sheds and relief food
items in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts. RUC supplied Livelihood
means such as boats, nets and engines to 498 groups consists of 1806 beneficiary families
in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli Districts. RUC constructed 183 permanent houses at
Keezhamanakudy village of Kanyakumari District.

Conclusion:

We had undergone training in RUC. Through this training we had learnt lot
of things especially in organic farming and others. Really we had spend the fifteen days
in a useful way. Each and every programme of RUC is appreciable. The effort paid by
RUC in Womens Rights and Beedi workers is really a fantastic job.