KOTAGIRI COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOUNT DON BOSCO
KOTAGIRI Kotagiri Community College
The Kotagiri Community College (KCC), started by the joint venture of the Salesians and the Citizens Forum of Kotagiri in 1998, caters to the training of tribal and dalit youth of the Nilgiris who are either dropouts or coming from very poor families and have no means of equipping themselves with the necessary skills to earn a decent livelihood. The college offers diploma courses in auto mechanics, garment making, nursing assistant, computer applications and carpentry. The main content of the training programmes is: life coping skills, work skills, and internship in the factories. This year, a total of 68 students frequent the college regularly, of which 18 (8 boys and 10 girls) are offered hostel facilities, the rest being day-scholars from the villages of the Nilgiris Taluk. Of the 68 students, 40 are boys and 28 are girls. Only 7 students of these are Catholics; 8 students are Christians from other denominations and the rest are Hindus. There are 6 ST students, 9 BC/MBC/OC students and 53 are SC students. Making the KCC open to day-scholars has contributed to this success. In the past all the students had to join the hostel. Specialization is the keyword. However all the students are offered some basic knowledge of computers and English and the necessary soft skills. A policy of training cum production has been implemented. The students do two hours of manual work daily. This helps them to build a work culture and also earn a stipend to pay for their studies. A nominal amount of Rs. 1000 is collected in instalments from the students as annual course fee. The students are provided with a monthly stipend of Rs. 100 for the work they do every afternoon. This helps them to meet at least their travel expenses. The students are offered various exposure programmes, such as human rights seminars, industrial visits, horticulture, etc. On a regular basis the Salesians animate them regarding social and moral issues. Besides the Salesians, 4 other staff members are part of the KCC staff: Three ladies (tailoring, nursing assistant, computer lab assistant) and one gent (computer instructor). The tailoring and the computer instructors are Catholics. The students are encouraged to serve their neighbourhood by conducting night schools. An open and spontaneous ambient has been created for the youth to grow up in. The Salesians and the staff are present with them always, actively. The families of the students are visited during admission time and during the year. Besides this, 5 past pupils are employed by the house in the production of T-shirts and sportswear. Nearly 3000 pieces have been produced since August. These students have been sent also for advance training, and in turn help in training the new batch of tailors.
Hostel (Kcc)
Students coming from far flung areas are offered free hostel facilities. They join the community for daily mass and night prayers. They are offered prayer experiences daily too. They are encouraged to speak in English since they are with the community. They are offered an extra opportunity to exercise leadership, and personal follow-up. Of these, 3 students are Catholics and are also guided spiritually by the Salesians. The girls and the boys are provided with separate lodgings. The Salesians are on the look-out for a warden for the girls.
Animation Centre
The Salesians make use of the premises for conducting training and animation programmes for the schools of the neighbourhood on Personality Development, Social Awareness and the sense of the Divine; besides being a service of animation, this brings in some income to run the various activities. The campus is also made available for children of the night school and government schools for games during weekends. Sports day and talent & quiz contests are organised to encourage the enthusiasm of the students especially those from government schools. Computer, tailoring and English classes are offered for the children of the neighbourhood on weekend and holiday. The government and NGO hostels in the neighbourhood are visited and followed up too. Nearly 25 night schools are conducted by the house with the help of volunteers, SHGs and community college students. During important festivals the SHGs are encouraged to visit and animate all the government schools, to make their celebrations meaningful. Scholarships are also provided for deserving students.
Kotagiri Joint Forum For Education
Very many aspects of the Salesian mission are sustained by the involvement of several earnest citizens, who, together with the Salesian community, have come to form what is known as the Kotagiri Joint Forum for Education (KJF). Despite a relatively new team at KCC, efforts have been taken to revive the activities of the Forum. The Forum is actively involved in its own formation towards social involvement, and has also adopted nearly 25 government schools in Kotagiri taluk, and sees to the effective running of the same. The KJF is also actively involved in training and animating the students of KCC in various soft skills. Their support is also decisive in lobbying with the government officials in issues concerning the tribals and the poor of this region.
SHGs In June 2005, the Province Programme Project (Surabi, SHGs) was started in the Kotagiri Region, with Thalavadi as its sub-centre. Eleven staff members were appointed for the Kotagiri Region. In the past 2 years alone the Salesians have laboured to create and animate 56 SHGs and have followed them up closely. Two Federations comprising the SHGs have been formed (Adivasi & Neelamalai Makkal Kootamaippu). 7 executive members were elected from 56 SHGs for the Neelamalai Makkal Federation, with a Salesian as Economer - Fr.Francis Bosco. A bank book was opened with 3 signatories (President, Secretary and Economer). All the 1000 members from 56 SHGs paid Rs.200 (for the tea estate community) and Rs.30 (for Adivasis) for life membership fee in the Federations. A sum of Rs. four lakhs have been collected and mobilised as a fund for the Neelamalai Makkal Federation. From this fund, SHGs have been offered loans totalling Rs.650, 000/-, for micro enterprises. The SHGs have already started their micro enterprises (lease of tea estates, grocery shops, phenyl making, honey processing, animal husbandry, floriculture, cable contract, goat and rabbit rearing, tea & coffee marketing, broom making, vermicompost manure and tea, coffee and horticulture saplings nurseries). Animation, training and exposure to industrial concerns have been also offered. The planning, execution and evaluation of the Province Programme Project in the Kotagiri region is carried out by the Neelamalai Makkal Federation. With the backup of the Federation, 6 members of the SHGs have been elected as leaders in the recent Panchayat elections. The SHGs are taught to be sensitive to the needs and issues of human rights and of development in their villages.
dbktg@sancharnet.in ; kotagiri@donboscochennai
Mount Don Bosco
KOTAGIRI - 643 217
Nilgiris Dt.
Cell – 94433 94655
