Samanvaya News Room

Looking forward to training on 'Food & Nutrition' to several batch of NSS students who as part of their annual camp will carry 'health and nutrition' awareness in the villages in Kancheepuram district. These students are drawn from several engineering colleges in the district. In all over 250 students will undergo intense exercise on skills and information that they will pass on to the villages, including, emergency first aid, resuscitation, knowledge on local nutritious food, etc.  Apart from these, we will also be training the field survey personnel for the health research work in three districts of TN next week, teams of about 20 people will work in each district gathering grassroot health care management and governance data.  

Current understanding of health care in society is based on parameters of illness. Most of know more terms and reference points of illness than health to even describe our status of health - 'my blood sugar is fine', 'my BP is so and so', 'my ...'. such indicators are meant to see if we are ill, not to measure if we are healthy! absence of illness is not the only definitely of healthy life, a conscious living even with physical ailments certainly is possible and has proven to be valuable in the life of many great souls. Prajna is a joint attempt by Samanvaya and Ekam Foundation to try to understand health of humans that is linked to their environment, polity, society and economy...factors that adversely impact health, which however are not always factored in while measuring, analyzing and / or understanding human health.  Currently we have initiated studies in two blocks each in  three districts of Tamilnadu, as a beginning of such an understanding ...

Over the last couple of years, most friends of Samanvaya have been aware of our work with several units in Auroville - in shaping a enterprise centered development project that will roll out the larger bio-regional work in the kaluvelli bio-region in which Auroville is situated. it was a moment to cherish when last week we had the MOU signed between the Tamilnadu Corporation for Development of Women (TNCDW) as the nodal agency and Integral Rural Development (IRD) unit of Auroville for the execution of this project, known as SEDAB (Sustainable Enterprise Development in the Auroville Bio-region).  the project over the next three years will aim to create over 50 community based enterprises in over 11 eco-friendly domains including earth block production, herbal cosmetics, creating village botanists, etc. through the community outreach units of Auroville. over 10 Auroville based units are combining forces, bringing their expertise, knowledge and skills for the purpose of vill...

It was a surprise honour to be invited and feted for 'Social Research & Writing' by the Baha'i community of Chennai.  On the 1st May 2012, in an elegant simple ceremony they honoured several people in the city for their contribution to the social sector, including Arun (of KFI fame, now managing eco-restoration and a school near Tiruvannamalai) for his work on sea turtle conservation, Aparna Nagesh for her social initiatives through dance as a medium, Dr. Sailakshmi and Ekam team for its work in saving infants in government hospitals across the state among others.  Samanvaya was honoured for its work in social research over the last 14 years that has shaped / influences several social ventures, initiatives and organizations. We thank the organizers for this honour and the wonderful evening. Any word of appreciation strengths the resolve to do what one does and inspires others to perhaps dive in.