Rural Camp cum Village Adoption Program by Department of Social Work, RGU at Tirap District

Rono Hills, Oct. 15:

Rural Camp cum Village Adoption Program by Department of Social Work, RGU at Tirap District

The Department of Social Work, Rajiv Gandhi University has recently conducted a Rural Camp cum Village Adoption (under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan) at Lazu village under Tirap district for a week long period extending from 30th September to 7th October 2016.

A total of 31 students of both the first and third semesters of the MSW (Master in Social Work) and two faculty members of the Department successfully participated in the said camp. The weeklong outreach program inaugurated with an interactive cultural night which was formally graced by Mr. Wango Lowangdong, the Village Chief and Mr. Yengsan Kongkang, Gaon Burah (G.B) of the Lazu village.

Rural camp is an integral component of MSW Course curriculum while village adoption is an University outreach programme under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, a Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India programme to uplift rural India. The objectives of the camp comprised informing, educating and empowering the rural denizens, spreading awareness about health & sanitation and imparting knowledge among rural youth on life skills.

The team of visiting students and faculty members also conducted a mass cleanliness drive (Shramdan) by involving the locals in the entire Lazu village on the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (2 October) which effectively marked the beginning of intervention. It aimed to sensitize the people about the health related concerns, promote cleanliness, and enhance their collective efforts for community development and so on.

Rural Camp cum Village Adoption Program by Department of Social Work, RGU at Tirap District

During the weeklong programme the students interacted with the villagers, particularly with the women (SHG) and youth (school-dropouts) and had a focus group discussion (FGD) with each of them for a participatory and inclusive intervention. Besides that, various literary activities like quiz, essay writing, drawing and painting were also conducted with the school children and prizes were distributed in the evening cultural program with an eye to motivate the students and their parents.

The RGU students also employed the interactive medium of cultural activities viz. dance, songs, skits and mimicry to spread awareness on themes mentioned above viz. Drug Addiction, Cleanliness, School Drop-outs, Health and Hygiene, Women Empowerment etc.

The sixth and the final day of the camp marked with cultural evening which was voluntarily organized by village youth both boys and girls of different age groups. The support money and other relief material collected at RGU campus during March 2016 for Fire Mishap victims at Lazu village was also distributed among the victims on the final day.

The visiting team was escorted by Ms. Chaphiak Lowang, Assistant Professor & HoD I/C and Mr. Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Social work, RGU. The entire program was coordinated by Mr. Kimong Nyamtey, Youth Wing General Secretary and Mr. Kijen Joren, a Youth of the Lazu village.

The Rural Camp at Lazu has marked the beginning of a long term intervention by the Department, RGU for a holistic and sustainable development of the village community.