The major projects of the YMCA Rural Centres, Marthandam are:
YMCA Rural Demonstration Centre at Marthandam
YMCA Community Centre at Muzhucode
YMCA International Guest House and Programme Centre at Kanyakumari
The coinage of the word ' rural reconstruction ' owes its credit to the YMCA that was coined by late K. T. Paul, an ardent disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and the first Indian General Secretary and the architect of rural reconstruction programmes in India. YMCA Rural Centre, Marthandam became a bacon light for rural reconstruction programmes in the whole country. The Centre has been a hub of comprehensive, dynamic activities catering to the Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Social and Economic aspirations of the ruralites.
YMCA –PIONEER IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Rural Development was thought of by the YMCA leaders in India as early as 1910 and the Rural Development Department of the National Council of YMCAs of India was opened in 1914 under the able leadership of the first Indian National General Secretary, the late Mr. K.T. Paul.
Rural Service in South India with Marthandam as headquarters began in 1916. The present Rural Demonstration Centre was opened in 1924.
Marthandam had its rise as a well planned Rural Reconstruction Centre, with a definite service programme to serve people within a radius of 10 miles.
The people were economically poor and the service rendered by the Marthandam YMCA reached the poorest sections of the community. Thus the physical, mental, social spiritual and economic phases of the villagers' life was enriched. Visitors who now visit the Centre see and appreciate the fruitful work turned out in the area and thousands of people implementing the ideas gained here are enriched.
George Williams
Sir Daniel Hamilton
KT Paul
Rev. L.A. Dixon of Canada, the District Secretary of the YMCA in Travancore (from 1913) was enthusiastic in extending YMCAs into the villages.
Mr. S. Manuel, under the guidance of Mr. K.T. Paul and the hearty co-operation of Rev. Dixon started organising many Cooperative Societies and village YMCAs.
The Christian Mission working in the areas cooperated with the YMCA giving financial assistance. Sir Daniel Hamilton, a philanthropic planter in Calcutta financed the Rural Work of the YMCAs from 1916 to 1921.
Dr. D. Spencer Hatch, who was trained in scientific Agriculture and Community Development, U.S.A. was the District Secretary in-charge of Rural Reconstruction in South Travancore from 1923 to 1940. Dr. & Mrs. Hatch carefully guided the work at Marthandam as their "light house" project.
Mr. J. Jesudas was in charge of the Marthandam Centre while Mr. Manuel was in charge of extension work. The programmes at the Centre were demonstration of better farming methods, leadership training, development of Cottage Industries, organising Cooperative Marketing of products such as eggs, honey etc.
Mr. G. John Rose and Mr. J. Dasiah were helping Mr. Jesudas. Mr. J. Rajiah worked as Extension Secretary till 1966 and Mr. Paul Chellappa as Boys' work Secretary till 1969.
Mr. T. Stephen took charge of the Centre in 1941 and continued the useful work at the Centre for about 10 years. The selfless services rendered by the pioneers were praiseworthy. Rev. J.S. Williams worked for one year and later Mr. M.A. Samuel worked as Senior Secretary for 20 years and Mr. D.P. George as business Secretary for 6 years.
At the Centre
Week-end classes for the farmers for 3 months on better methods of Agriculture, Bee-Keeping, Poultry-keeping, Goat-keeping and refined jaggery-making were conducted.
A Sindi Stud bull was presented by the Maharaja of Travancore to develop high milk yielding animals by cross breeding. It continued till the key village scheme, came into being.
Supplied piglings at half cost to the villagers to get more meat and more income.
A Diploma Course for one year was started and continued till the Government started their own training in Kallupetti and other places.
Scouting was first introduced at the Marthandam Centre by Mr. J. Jesudas and the investiture ceremony was conducted. His Highness, the then Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chitra Thirunal inaugurated the function and presented the badges to the scouts. His Excellency Lord Linithgow, the then Viceroy of India also visited the Marthandam Centre and one of the Extension Centres at Kurumathur, a most backward village.
These were demonstrated at the Centre and many village young men earned their livelihood by these cottage industries.
Agricultural exhibitions, cattle-shows, goat-shows and poultry-shows were also conducted regularly every year. Printing of Christmas cards and visiting cards on Palmyrah leaves and marketing them to foreign countries was also done for some years.
A Carpentry Unit for the supply of model bee-hives to the villagers was functioning and the manufacture of palmyrah juice boiling zinc sheet pans to save fuel, smoke and time was also carried on. This was done with the help of village Industries Commission.
Digging of wells and chlorination of wells and clean-up campaign wok were regularly carried on with the aid received from Government and labour got from the public.
EXTENSION WORK
The use of rearing better quality birds, goats and cattle were demonstrated in the market place by showing charts, animals and birds and explaining the use of keeping such things in the homes to get an additional income to the family.
Lectures on temporance, film shows and dramas explaining the evil of drinks were regularly conducted at the Centre and in the villages.
Projects undertaken
I.C.A.R. Poultry Scheme for the supply of 20,000, three months old White Leghorn chickens to the villagers. A deep litter house for poultry was built at Muzhucode. 100 Poultry units were started in the villages.
Hunger Crusade work to grow more food in the villages were conducted.
A Government Agricultural School was functioning for 5 years at the Centre which trained batches of 20 young men every year on better farming methods. Mr. Kamaraj helped us to get the School.
Training for Tibetan Refugees for 6 months was give regularly for some time.
Poultry farming is one of the Cottage Industries introduced by the YMCA as early as 1924. We market about 3,000 large sized eggs per week through our marketing section. Hatching eggs are supplied to the villagers at half cost and on hatching plan.
We trained men and women in bee-keeping. It helped many unemployed young men and women to earn their living. The villagers kept more than 20,000 working hives in this area and marketed over 2 lakh pounds of honey every year through the YMCA and the Bee-keeping Cooperative Society was started by the "Y".
Milch Goats (Poor man's Cow)
The YMCA pioneered with introducing Surati Milch goats and popularised Saanan milch goats, a native of Australia. Bucks were maintained for breeding work.
Superior quality seeds and seed-lings of vegetables, fruit plants and cutting of tapioca sticks were popularized in the villages. Model kitchen gardens were demonstrated at the Centre.
Exhibitions were held and prizes awarded to the best exhibits to stimulate interest among villages.
Through the work of the YMCA, boiling palmyrah juice in open Zinc sheet pans in smokeless oven was carried on in the villages. This was a great improvement in saving fuel time and smoke.
We helped in digging bore holes in the villages by providing boring machines and slabs free of cost to help sanitation.
Rabbit breeding was introduced in the villages on rabbit scheme. One pair of rabbits was given to a villager on condition that he would return another pair of young rabbits to his neighbour when his rabbits litter. This was done through the boys groups organised in the villages.
Five reading rooms were functioning in the villages and books were issued form the Central YMCA to those who were members.
Major programmes of YMCA Rural Demonstration Centre, Marthandam
The following are the present major programmes of the YMCA Rural Demonstration Centre, Marthandam.
The century old building is currently rebuilt with modern global requirements with a wider perspective of training and human needs. It would offer training in:
Self-reliance training programmes like Bee-keeping, Dress making, Food processing, Banana/jute fibre craft, Sericulture, Straw-craft, shell craft have been conducted systematically. Short-term training programmes are arranged in Kitchen gardening, Mushroom culture, Health and Family welfare, Mother and Child Care, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Social Awareness, Consumer Awareness, Women's Empowerment, Environmental Awareness and Leadership.
MULTI-VARIED RURAL PROGRAMMES
The core concepts of Mahatma Gandhi in economic development that, '' India is a village of villages", and " India lives in the villages", have been translated into concrete action by the rural based humble services of the YMCA.
The YMCA has launched multi-varied rural programmes with an ennobling ideal to boost up the rural economy coupled with a holistic development of the rural homes. Accordingly it breeds hybrid varieties of fancy birds, quality layers, pet birds, table birds, rabbits, varieties of ducks, geese and encourages rural villagers to rear the domestic birds which fetches a modest economy to the homes, besides meeting the food requirements of the table.
Model Agri-farm
Coconut Nursery
A rural beneficiary
The YMCA maintains model agricultural nurseries and farms for demo purposes in five places – Muzhucode, Moodode, Manjalamoodu, Mukootukal and Dharma Farm.
It maintains Kitchen Gardens, Herbal Gardens and Apiary for demo purposes.
The agriculture is practiced on certain concepts as insistence on organic manure, preparation of compost manure, promotion and propagation of eco-friendly ethics in its operations.
The nurseries supply quality seeds of vegetables, fruits and green leaves, in addition to saplings of teak and seedlings of coconut.
The village groups are organised to secure active participation and involvement of villagers in development. The groups are formed irrespective of caste, creed, faith or language. Small Savings, Self reliance Schemes, Women's Empowerment, Health and hygiene, Nutrition Programmes, Environmental Awareness, Eco-friendly Farming, Family Welfare are topics that are being dealt for them. The village groups are offered proper guidance to avail all the government welfare programmes.
Presently 300 Self Help Groups (SHGs) function under the banner of the YMCA.
At the YMCA, rural women produce Honey, Banana / Jute Fibre Utility Articles, which symbolises empowerment of women. It is also a self-reliance programme for women, which supports the economy of the benefactors.
TSUNAMI HOUSING PROJECT
Tsunami Houses
Tsunami Relief
The unprecedented Asian Tsunami of 2004 left a trail of death, destruction and severe damage to the livelihood materials of fish workers in the Southernmost part of India, and the YMCA Rural Centre, Marthandam rose to the occasion in providing temporary relief on war-footing to the victims as an expression of the humanitarian concern and commitment to the broken communities in distress. As a long-term relief, it concentrated on providing permanent relief, a measure of rebuilding their lives by provision of 60 houses to the needy at a coastal village Muttom on the Arabian Sea. It utilised its own land to construct 27 houses and raised money to buy land for 33 houses locally.