My name is still Yannick and I came from France for a two-weeks training session in the context of ADECOM and Planete Urgence partnership.

This second week of the “improving training for children animation” was less theoretical and more animation-oriented. How to prepare and execute activities, how to take care of every children and particularly the youngest ones, how to work as a team. Thanks to the sharing of experience of both trainer (myself) and trainees (KKK members), tips and good practices were discussed and illustrated.

Kootu-K-Kural is currently organizing an expression camp in its cultural centre. It was a great opportunity for a practice session and for an external point of view on KKK activities with children. The interactive debriefing  highlighted good habits and possible improvements as well as application of knowledge on child development.

As planned, the workshop was concluded with an official ceremony and every participants happily came back home with their certificate.

My name is Yannick, I live in south of France and I am one of Planete Urgence volunteers that have worked with ADECOM Network for many years.

This week was the first of a two-week workshop with Kootu-K-Kural, a street theatre movement, that aims at helping its members for their activities with children. KKK uses theatre as medium for enlistment of Depressed Community people such as Dalit, woman and children.

KKK members are already used to work with children in schools or during expression camps, but they expressed a need to have a better understanding on children and to improve their animation skills.

The first half of the training focused on physical, mental and social development, from the 3-year-old children to the 14-year-old or older teenagers. How they increase their dexterity and master their body, how they perceive their environment and explain the world, how they create relationship and learn from others as model.

All those subjects and many others were evoked in a nice and friendly (but also studious and attentive) atmosphere. Since play games are an essential component of child development, the workshop was also a moment to discuss their utility, share new games and, as a matter of fact, to play those games.

Next week will be dedicated to group animation techniques and will lead to a ceremony where workshop attendees will be granted with a certificate.

Dalit Collective organized Land Rights Agitation

“ Land is the status of Dalits, Land is the Social Security of Dalits, Land is the Liberation of Dalits” with this concern, “ Dalit Collective Tamilnadu & Puducherry” and “ Rural Women Self – Reliant Movement – Chetpet ” organized an agitation on 18^th August 2008 at Tiruvannamalai Collectorate on the demand of “ Dalit Land Rights”. Posters were displayed all over the city and the banners were displayed on the agitation.

Women and men were starting gathered from 8.00 clocks in the morning by vans and mini buses to Tiruvannmalai and assembled in a large number in the gate of Collector Office. Dalit activists, Dalit Panchayat Leaders, Dalit Ward Councilors and some State and Central Government employees also participating in the agitation with very appealing.

Mrs. Lourdu Mary, President RWSRM, presided over the agitation in the presence of Mrs. Annanapoorani, Mrs. Shanthi, Mrs. Kasthuri, Mr. K. Balan, Mr. Rajendran, Mr. T. Pandian, Miss. Sumathi, Miss. Valli, Miss. Mary (all are Rural Women Self- Reliant Movement leaders). Mrs. Kasturi, the movement organizer welcomed the gathering.

Mr. M. Manavalan, Member of Dalit Collective facilitated the inaugural address and he explained the agitations objectives and the present situation of Dalit land rights. Mr. M. Ari, Founder of Ambedkar Makkal Kazhagam, Mr. V. Durairaj, President Ambedkar Revolutionary Front and Mr. Sudaroli Sundaram President of Tribal Federation, Mrs. Punitha from ADECOM Network, Miss. Amuthamozhi, from SVED Cuddalore, and representatives from DALM and RWEDS also spoke on the agitation.

More than 500 women and men participated in the agitation enthusiastically raised strong slogans to defend the land rights and Dalit human Rights. Though the Government officials not permitted to conduct the agitation in the front of Collector Office Gate, the women forcibly enter in to the gate and sitting for a dharna for a moment. Then only the police permitted to conduct the agitation.

The spoke persons gave an aggressive speech about the panchami land and the roles and responsibilities of the Government. They also insisted their desire that all the dalit movement and like minded peoples come forward to work on this agenda in one umbrella. They also suggested conducting a state level meeting to coordinate to conduct a mass level conference and a direct action that is entering the land with a mass. They also urged the State and Central Government to provide:

· Land deed in the name of women landless agricultural laborers

· 5 acre land to dalit women and housing patta in the name of dalit women

· Redeem the panchami land which is enjoyable by the upper caste people and to distribute the same to dalits

· Share in the income of Temple land and common resources

· Implement special economic programmes for dalits

· Allocation of funds to the welfare and development programmes on the basis of Dalit population

· Identify waste land and distribute to the dalit landless families

· Provide Housing Pattas to the home less dalits

· Stop migration of Dalits searching for employments to urban area

· Effective implementation of SC/ST atrocities act 1989

Ten days ago I joined Pondichery in order to teach Adecom’s students Computer basis (the use of Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and of course Internet).

I am Estelle, I am 29, I am living in France, and I was very impatient to face this challenge.

I discovered 12 students, between 18 and 23 years old, happy to come to Pondichery to participate to that training session.

Until now, we have already studied word and excel basis by making lots of exercises: formatting all types of documents, creating tables and charts, inserting images… many tips that have no secret left for my class!

During this week I discovered who they are, where they are from, what they daily experience in their life and villages.

At the end of this serious first week, Perumal accepted to be our driver and to take us to visit Chidambaram temple and to rent some embarcations to have fun far from the city:

Afterwards we visited Perumal’s team in a Dalits’ village, they welcome us with generosity by performing a short piece of theater:

A first week full of emotions!!

Let’s start a new one, with the preparation of the final exam for my students (but no worries, they are very good!!), it goes too fast here!

See you on a second post with the pictures of the students with their certificate!

ADECOM network successfully completed the Computer training from 5th until 15th August 2008.  Planet Urgence sent their volunteer Mr.Komlan for two weeks training in ADECOM.  In this training 4felmales and 3 males participated and they learned very quickly on Word, Xcel, powrpoint, internet etc.  The trainees were really happy about their own improvement within the short period.  At the beginning they were not sufficient knowledge about computer except one.  After the training all of them knowing the basic skill in computer and they can able to work on independently.

In this training there was no absentee and all of them completed the training without fail.  Trainer provided the training materials and he took the class more in practical.  His way of approach was more simple and understood by all the trainees.  The trainer completed the training two days before and he gave lot of exerices to the participants.

The final day of the training ADECOM designed and provided the certificates to the participants.  All the trainees expressed their views about their learning and their developments.  Each one shared that Komlan training was very useful and he contributed a lot for learning their computer skills.  First time ADECOM experienced with the IT expert of Komlan and he connected the network system and router to link the internet connection to all our computers.

ADECOM Network arranged the capacity building on Project Management training to the young Dalit girls and boys. The training began from 14th until 26th July. The volunteer Gregary working in AREVA specially came for this training to attain the mission of community development.

Planet Urgence and ADECOM network jointly organizing the training courses to the young people in Puducherry. The trainees were from partners of ADECOM network, the community representatives, other NGO’s.

The two weeks training specially designed to the young people to understand on their own management for dealing project. The trainer helped the trainees in a simple way and used different strategies for their understanding and their participation.

Trainer is very serious on project management at the same time very humors to teach the subjects in a meaningful way.

In the feedback session the twelve beneficiaries reacted in a positive way. There was no negative comments from them. Everyone learned many things and shared thanks to the volunteers training and his materials.

Gregary, the volunteer visited to ADECOM partner place Chidamparam and observed the Dalit situation in village side. He shared with the members and Perumal, theater artist to explain the details on the work of ADECOM doing with the support of partners.

Management Skill development is very important for Dalit community insisted by French Consulate Director of Puducherry

The management skills and communication is very important for Dalit young students to equip their knowledge in education and employment expressed by the French Consulate Director. When she visited ADECOM Network on 4^th June 2007 and discussed with the Managing Trustee P.Lalida, and the Planet Urgence staff Mr.Jean Baptiste, a street theatre group Kootu-K-Kural, Director Mr.Perumal the training aspects were focused.

The main objectives of the visit were to emphasis the importance of Planet Urgence, the French association collaborated with ADECOM Network, Puducherry for rendering the services to the Dalit Community. Since two years of the partnership with the French Environmental Organization Planet Urgence and the Social organization of ADECOM Network conducted the regular trainings to the development of the community people.

During the period 2007-2008, totally 16 courses were conducted by ADECOM Network, each course planned for 15 days. The Professional French volunteers 16 members from France visited Puducherry and organized the trainings on Computer, Capacity Building, and Communication etc.

The main impacts of the trainings were nearly 150 beneficiaries trained through the courses. The participants were from the Partners groups, Volunteers, Staffs of ADECOM network, working in Tamilnadu and Puducherry. The feedbacks from the trainees were motivated on English language and communication and trainings were useful for their future carrier. The need is to improve the management and communication skills of the young students from Dalit community who are aspiring to volunteer themselves for the cause of development was stressed.

French Director asked the details of the ADECOM’s experiences on Dalit empowerment actions since fifteen years. Managing Trustee explained the main historical events took place in the past the Trustee Mr.Christy Packiaraj, the entire team of ADECOM added the values on the Dalit Empowerment activities.

Kootu-k-kural, the artists were sung a song about Dr.Ambedkar. The Director Mr.Perumal focused the Dalit theatre, how the artists have taken training with French theatre groups Le Croquant Bouche De Compagnie, (Mr.Jef Pays), Clowns Sans Frontier, and Cacachuete.

At the conclusion the Director expressed her greetings and wishes to the entire team of ADECOM Network and Kootu-K-Kural artists, Jean Baptiste from Planet Urgence.

Reported by P.Lalida, Managing Trustee, ADECOM Network

Date: 6^th June.

Puducherry