site visit report august 2005

8/12/2019 Site Visit Report August 2005

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Report On Visit to Rishi Valley Rural Health Center

Rishi Valley School (RVS) is located about 10 km from the town of

adanapalle! in Chitoor "ist! #ndhra $radesh% Rishi Valley School was

founded by thinker and philosopher &% 'rishnamurti in 1*% +heeducation pro,ram of RVS is based on the teachin,s of &%

'rishnamurthi%

Rishi Valley School resides in an arid and rural re,ion of south #ndhra

$radesh% +he -illa,es that surround the school subsist on farmin, and

cattle rearin,% any of the -illa,ers are also employed by the school% +o

facilitate the education of the children of the -illa,ers employed in RVS!

a rural education centre was set up and is now meetin, the primaryeducation needs of the children%

#fter years of e.perimentation! RVS came up with an inno-ati-e

approach to educate children from the local -illa,es/ this approach has

been called school in a bo.% 2t is a multi3le-el! sin,le teacher! sin,le

room approach in helpin, the children become literate% Children of

-aryin, a,es and learnin, abilities learn to,ether at their own pace and

older children often teachin, youn,er ones% +he materials are pro-ided

by the school and the children learn e.plorin, ideas and conceptsto,ether% +here is no teacher but rather a facilitator who ,uides the

students throu,h the process usin, the materials and ,uidance pro-ided%

Children are also fed nutritious meals at the school% +he pro,ram has

been -ery successful with practically no drop3outs and is also bein,

adopted in other states as well% +here are additional satellite rural

schools% RV now focuses on pro-idin, help and support to those

interested in their rural education pro,ram and is no lon,er startin, new

satellite schools% 2 was unable to -isit any of the rural schools on this

-isit%

+he focus of my -isit was the Rural Health Center (RHC)% +he center

was set up by "r% 'arthik 'alyanram and "r% Vidya 'alyanram in 1%

"r% '% 'alyanram is an old student of RVS and also teaches students at


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the school% 4ein, an old student "r% 'artik 'alyanram has a connection

with the place and the people which plays a crucial role in his interest in

the de-elopment of this area% +hey li-e in the area and so there is

opportunity for direct interaction with the local people% +he ,oal of the

RHC is to meet the immediate health care needs of the -illa,ers in anout3patient settin,% #dditional focus on pre-entati-e health maintenance!

nutrition!hy,iene and health education of both children and adults is also

bein, carried out%

2n #u,ust of 500*! 2 had the opportunity to meet and tour the health

center with "r% 'alyanram% +here is a clear need for health care to the

-illa,ers in the -icinity of the school% +he -illa,es are isolated with the

closest in3patient medical facility bein, in adanapalle! 16 km from the-illa,e% 7or the -illa,ers to ,o to adanapalle they must take a bus%+he

bus ser-ice sporadic and unreliable and can ,et 8uite e.pensi-e for a

-illa,er whose a-era,e monthly income is Rs% *00%00% 4an,alore the

city with more modern health care facility is 190km from RVS%

+he RHC plays a crucial role in caterin, to the immediate health needs

of the local rural population%

+he out3patient clinic is open days in the week and they see an a-era,e

of :0 patients per day% #s "r% 'alyanram was tellin, me!there are dayswhen 2 am in the clinic till late in the e-enin,s% ;ord has spread about

the 8uality of care we pro-ide to the people and people ha-e started

comin, here from places as far off as Cuddapah! a town 1*0'm from

RVS% Rishi Valley School has been in that area for the past :0 years and

has been pro-idin, employment to the local people so it is not surprisin,

that the local people look up to the or,ani the kind that the RHC

is pro-idin,% +he RHC has been able to identify areas of health needs

and address these issues% $oor nutrition! inade8uate antenatal are the

ma?or sources of poor health %"r% Vidya 'alyanram has been addressin,

these issues throu,h prenatal and antenatal pro,rams% +hese pro,rams


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are based on methods that pro-ide education to e.pectant mothers and

parents on diets that will optimi it sa-es the local -illa,ers 8uite a bit of money to be able to

ha-e basic blood work done closer to home% +hey are able to char,e

those who can afford to pay and this subsidi


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nutrition! dentition! and a-ailability of safe drinkin, water will ,o a lon,

way in meetin, the health needs% RHC reco,ni wishers and alumni% 4utonce fundin, is pro-ided throu,h #SH# we ha-e made it clear to the

or,ani

site visit report august 2005

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