Feeling of ownership – a step to development

RajKumar's father renovated Name Board

Thirupathi's parents assisted in weeding work in our field

In a development strategy, creating an interest among the stakeholders is a basic step. Such an interest would emerge only when the stakeholder started feeling one with the organization. Feeling of oneness with the organization emerges from both cognitive and affective areas of one’s personality. Stakeholders need to think that the organization in which he is connected offers something good not only to him but to the society at large. Such a thinking would develop a concern in him to be with the organization in all its efforts. It is the responsibility of the organization provide such relevant information, both strength and weaknesses, to all the stakeholders. Of course, the way persons involved in the organization  live and act would make the stakeholders judge the position of organisation by themselves. It is this basic understanding paved a new way of organizing parents, one among the important segment of stakeholders, get together in Boys Towns.  Sharing information with the parents created a feeling of ownership in them. Yes, to day we had four parents volunteers came to Boys town and involved in some activities. Rajkumar’s father came with his painting brush and renovated the entrance name board. Thirupathy’s parents came to work in our agricultural field to remove weed. They could point out some of our mistakes in farming activities, particularly the harvesting of ladyfingers vegetable. We learned from their rich experience.

Dr.P.N.Narayana Raja, Facilitator, Rajapalaiyam Boys Town. 99947 97666.

  

Agriculture – an itching experience

Last year, I was enthusiastic to enter into the venture of doing agricultural work on seeing a vast amount of land without cultivation. My friend Subbaiah told me that we can go for Onion where the work is simple and we can get more profit i.e in an acre we can make at least 10 to 15,000 rupees profit. I made arithmetic calculations with my calculator on the possible expenditure including seeds, manure, pesticides, wages etc and income. At that point of time the rate of onion per Kg was Rs.25. My calculation was almost equal to what Subbaiah said about the profit. We had a meeting with our students and informed them about our plan and they were also enthusiastic to see something grown in Rajapalayam Boys Town.  Things went very well, even we could minimize our expenditure as we could mobilize the support of some of the parents aid for harvesting and weeding. The yield was also good. When we took the onion to the market the selling prize was only Rs. 4 and we were forced to sell as we did not have any storage facilities. Finally the loss was Rs. 11,000/. I could only sympathize with our farmers and decided not to venture further in agriculture.

Our Jasmine Garden

Itching sensation will not allow the hand to keep quiet. This is 100% true to an honest farmer’s attitude. Again this year when the rain started pouring, my boys were enthusiastic to go for agriculture in a different way. Our farm in charge and subcommittee suggested for Makkacholam (a type of gram that will withstand the drought and mostly preferred in the semiarid areas). Of course, the area was fully under agriculture about 10 years back when mother earth was pleased to offer sufficient water.   The change in the climate, intrusion of urban culture in rural areas, westernization,  migration to urban centers, freebies( rice, TV, Electricity, Animals etc) offered by state and central governments, poor price for agricultural products and such other factors eroded the sense of involving in agriculture. After 10 years we again felt the itching sensation to involve in agriculture.

MuthuPandi Chase the Peacocks

We had good rain and we had a discussion to go for Makkacholam. Our farm incharge fixed a tractor and find out the availability of seeds. Today, by 9 AM the tractor arrived and started ploughing. The driver told us that he needs the seed by 12 AM when he completes the first plough and start his second ploughing. Sekhar went to Karivalmvanthanallur but could not get the seed. He was directed to go to Sankarankoil but again he failed. How this happened? Yesterday it was available and not to day. I contacted one of our well wisher Mr. Dhanraj Raja in Kovilpatti who could get 2 bags and transported to RBT by 1 PM. We have sown the seeds in time. It will grow. Will we make any profit? It was Rs.18 per Kg last year and now it is Rs.50 per Kg. For tractor it was 400 last year now Rs.500 per hour. On the next day of sowing, about 100 peacocks assembling for morning breakfast in the field. They will also come for lunch and dinner. How many seeds we will lose? How long the rain will continue? What new pests will enter into the field and dominate the already known pesticides? Will there be increasing of wages? Answers to these questions alone will determine the outcome. It is a gambling but yet itching sensation forces the hand to scratch... What to do?

Vinayagar festival - our Experience

Vinayagar Chathurthi, a festivel that units the people of different background, is celebrated in India in a big way. Lord Ganesha is symbolized in all forms, particularly he is worshipped when a new venture is begun. Boys Town has a tradition of celebrating the Vinayaga Pooja from the very inception. Boys are exuberant from the morning, cleaning the rooms, searching for clay to make the idol of Ganesha, flowers and other decorative things to make the place colorful.  It is in the evening by 3 PM we all assembled in a small Vinayaka temple situated inside our premises. There are five rooms and a competition was announced on the sculpturing skill and I had promised that I will give a special gift to the room which makes a novel Vinayaka.  Kabila, an Indian volunteer who stayed with us accepted to be the judge. The room leaders, under their guidance, brought the Vinayaga Sculture one by one and the boys were jubilant and applause on seeing the idol. The boy who took the charge as a priest conducted the pooja in a ceremonious way and offered the Thiruneer, Santhan, Kukkum (to be placed in the forehead) to all the members. Santhanakumar, our drummer, beat the drum and the boys were dancing to the tunes. Judge had chosen the Nedugam room headed by Ramalingam as the winner of the competition.It was the time the sun slowly disappearing and the darkness started covering the field. 

I thought the ceremony was over. But to my surprise, boys started lifting the idols of their room and dancing to the tunes of the drum towards the farm. I was wondering what was really happening. I asked Rajkumar, a little lad who just waved his hand and asked me to follow him. I just followed him, holding his little finger. They were moving towards the well and the leader took the idol and started going down in the well where half of the wall did not have proper stair case. My heart was throbbing and my pulse rate was increasing. I was literally shouting to Sekhar, our Asst. Director, who was cautiously taking care of others and let the leaders go down the well. My wife was holding my hand and literally closed her eyes and started praying for their safety. The well was so deep and the water level is too low and it is a risk, my city experience repeatedly made me to shout at the boys not to go further. They were laughing and went down and immersed the idol in the water and returned back happily. Their eyes were shining and their smiles were sparkling and their hearts were filed with Joy. All these wonder feeling of fulfillment could possibly be given only by such experience and not the days in the class rooms. I jumped at them and hugged them and expressed by joy by lifting them up.

Dr. P.N.Narayana Raja,

Facilitator, RBT

22nd Sep,2012