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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

1. Name of the Organisation: RURAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY (RDS)

2. Address : PATHUR VILLAGE,

NAGAPATNAM POST, pin code : 516203

KHAJIPET MANDAL,

CUDDAPAH DISTRICT,

ANDHRA PRADESH STATE,

SOUTH INDIA.

Website : www.rdsindia.org.in

E-mail : rds_khajipet@yahoo.co.in

3. Name and address of the Contact Person :

M.RATNA SWAMY, President,

RURAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY

PATHUR VILLAGE, NAGAPATNAM POST,

KHAJIPET MANDAL – 516 203,

CUDDAPAH DISTRICT,

ANDHRA PRADESH STATE,

SOUTH INDIA.

E-mail : rds_khajipet@yahoo.co.in

Mobile phone No.: 0091-9441433588

4. Legal Status of the Organisation :

‘Rural Development Society’ is a Non-Governmental Organisation. It is a non-profit

making voluntary organisation.

It was registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.

Regd.No.569/1994

RDS also registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulations)

Act 1976. FCRA No.010160441.

5. Banking particulars. :

Name of the Bank : CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA

Address : Devuni Kadapa Road,

Cuddapah – 516 001,

Andhra Pradesh State, India.

Account Number : 1993727211

Name of Account Holder : Rural Development Society

Swift Code : CBININBB BMO

IFSC Code : CBIN0280842

Bank Branch code : CUD HYD

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6. BACKGROUND :

Rural Development Society was established in the year 1994 by some likeminded people,

social workers and scholars. The organisation was set up with purely non-profit motive to help

the downtrodden sections of the community. The pathetic conditions led by the target people

in Kadapa district are responsible for the starting of the voluntary organisation. In the entire

district is drought affected area with excessive population growth rate. Most of the people are

poor and living below poverty line. These situations influenced the Executive Body members

of “RDS” and they established it with a prime motto to help the poor, needy, depressed and

oppressed communities in the society.

7. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE :

In the year 1994 organisation was set up with 75 members. These members elected the

Executive Body. The Executive Body consists of President, Vice President, Secretary,

Treasurer and 5 Directors. The Executive Body is responsible for the smooth functioning of

the projects which are designed and implemented as per the objectives of the organisation.

Presently the organisation has ample man power. It consists of 9 members in Executive Body

and 250 members in General Body. The General Body members belong to different sections

of the communities and took their members in RDS by taking a clear view of the objectives,

method of achieving the selected goals. These general body members are the strength of the

organisation. They voluntarily contribute money from their earnings and it is used for the

benefit of the needy target people. In each Mandal Head Quarters in Kadapa district our

volunteers are functioning. The organisation has appointed 5 Animators, who actively

participate and render their relentless services for the effective implementation of the project.

Further we have 30 volunteers who came forward to provide service freely. The volunteers

identify the problems in the target villages, suggest remedial measures and submit their reports

through Animators. This enables our organisation to make a survey and identify the problems

and search for remedial measures. They are all responsible to the Executive Body of R.D.S.

Our RDS having 15 Office staff consisting 1 Project Coordinator, 5 Women Organisors, 8

Animators, 1 Accountant. They are directly responsible to the President.

8. MAIN GOALS :

RDS has objectives to achieve the following goals.

To increase the literacy rate by starting educational institutions,

To strive for the poverty alleviation among the impoverished people by undertaking

various economic development activities as per the need,

To increase the spread the knowledge in respect of health and hygiene,

To minimize the financial vulnerabilities of the labouring families through the

organisation of thrift and credit unions.

To effect a total reduction in the school drop out rates by sensitising the teachers,

parents and community for co operative focus on the child’s needs.

To effect sustainable structural change with equitable access to power and resources in

the Society by employing the child rights provisions as an instrument for future

development,

To strive for the reduction of child mortality and maternal mortality rates in our target

areas,

To develop poor and needy women for social change and improve their status in the

society,

To create Environmental Awareness among the rural masses,

To generate awareness in the target communities on the prevention of HIV/AIDS,

Malaria and different kinds of viral, communicable and contagious diseases.

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9. CURRENT PROGRAMME OF R.D.S. :

Name of the program

“Eradication of Extreme Poverty among the Impoverished

Adolescent Girls through Zari Crafts (Hand Embroidery)

Programme”

Ref:- Project No. 2012/033 - India

Funding Agency : Association Europe - Tiers Monde,

c/o Conseil, Bureau JL - 02 CG 39

Rue de la Loi, 175 B-1048 Bruxelles,

BELGIUM.

E-mail : etm.etw@coditel.net

Contact : Ms.Nadia Bergamino, E-mail : seneca105@yahoo.it

“Please see the following you tube video link to see the video of the above programme.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKf8DqnWXmI

Summary of the Programme :

Through this programme RDS intended to improve the job opportunities for 50 marginalized

adolescent girls (aged 14-18 years). RDS conducted a Skill Training in Zari Crafts work (Hand

Embroidery work) for a period of 3 months. Zari Craft is Indian beautiful traditional artistic

hand work practiced by adolescent girls. This artistic hand embroidery is being applies to

decorate on the sarees, dress materials and other fabrics wears. This craft now-a-days attracts

the ample market demand in the textile industry both at rural and urban areas.

After training period, RDS supported these 50 girls with required tools and raw materials to

take-up their own zari crafts units. With the profits earned from this zari crafts occupation

these girls and their family members were solved their problem of poverty. These poor,

hungry girls are now becomes self-sufficient and now in a position to add their income to daily

wages of their mothers and they are now getting good nutrition food, proper shelter, suitable

medical treatment while ailing etc.,

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10. PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES UNDERTAKEN BY ‘R.D.S.’

1) Name of the program “Awareness Generation on Anti-Trafficking and

Development of Impoverished Women”

Funding Agency : Open Meadows Foundation,

P.O. Box 150-607, Van Brunt Station, Brooklyn, NY 11215-

607, U.S.A

Mr.Ratnaswamy,President,RDS is conducting awareness among the women about the anti-trafficking.

Mr.Ratnaswamy,President,RDS is distributing Micro-credit amount to the rescued women to undertake petty income generating activities.

Brief summary :

Under this project RDS is conducted Awareness Generation camps, Counselings, Group

counseling programmes, Individual counseling programs, Counseling for the parents in the

target 5 villages. RDS is created much awareness among the women, children and the men

about the anti trafficking. RDS is supported with micro-credit amount to 25 rescued women

and girls to undertake petty income generating activities like vegetables selling, fruits selling,

eggs selling, milk selling etc., Now these rescued women and girls are living independently

and happily. .

2) Name of the program : Prevention of Women and Child Trafficking

Funding Agency : ANNE FRANK-Fonds,

Addr.: Steinengraben 18, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland.

Mr.M.Ratnaswamy, President, RDS is conducting awareness about the anti trafficking

The target group women who participated in the programme are showing in the above picture.

Summary of the Program :

Rural Development Society has developed a multi-pronged approach to address the problem

of trafficking. The objectives of this project are :

To create awareness, provide training and influence policy-making on anti-trafficking.

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To rescue women and children from the clutches of traffickers and to expose the

organized trafficking networks.

Rehabilitation and reintegration of the rescued women and children.

3) Name of the program : ”Community Health Care Programme”

Funding resources : Local peoples contributions

Mr.Ratnaswamy, President, RDS is giving speech during the health awareness at Anjaneyakottalu village of Khajipet Mandal.

Mr.Ratnaswamy, President, RDS is distributing medicines to the poor tribal women at Sanjeevanagar tribal village.

Our organization implemented Health Awareness programme in 5 villages of Khajipet Mandal

of Kadapa District in the year 2008. We have appointed 2 health workers and a trained ANM

(Auxiliary Nursing Midwife) to create health awareness and to attend for medical service

whenever needed to the people and others. These health staff were went door-to-door interacts

with the people on the health and hygiene. This team given health awareness by displaying the

charts and pictures for better understanding. Our organisation’s project team went on house

visits and motivated the rural and slum parents on the hygiene and sanitation. For example – to

keep themselves, the children and localities clean, to dress up the children, comb, oil hair, wear

on tidy dress, wearing slippers, daily bath, timely soap wash the face, limbs etc.

Other than the health & hygiene classes our organization members distributed low cost

medicine to the simple ailments. The A.N.M. given guidance to the sick people of our target

villages; to go to concerned hospitals and primary health care center for the necessary

treatment. If necessary she herself takes the sick people to the hospital and primary health care

center for the necessary treatment.

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4) Name of the project : “Mats Weaving Programme for Poor Women’s

Livelihood”

Funding resources : Vlaams International Centrum,

Laanbrugstraat 11, 1000, Brussel, BELGIUM.

The target group women beneficiaries are weaving the mats collectively. Behind them a banner showing the name of the donor agency VIC is also seeing in this photo.

Mr.Rantnaswamy President RDS is standing with Ms.Aline le Bon (who wear the garlands) the then Director of VIC Belgium.

Summary: ‘VLAAMS INTERNATIONAL CENTRUM’ BELGUM has kind enough to

fund for ‘MAT WEAVING PROJECT’ in the year 1996. RDS provided skill training in mats

weaving and after training we supported these 25 poor women of Anjaneyakottalu village with

capital investment to purchase raw materials, tools and mat weaving looms. With this capital

these women undertaking their own mat weaving occupations and earning good income. Their

poverty is reduced with this income generating programme. Ms.Aline le Bon from VIC

Belgium was kind enough to visit our organisation in the year 1998 and she discussed with the

target group women and satisfied with our organization’s efforts.

5) Name of the project : “Poverty Eradication among poor rural women through

income generating Gravel making Programme”

Funding resources : Vlaams International Centrum,

Laanbrugstraat 11, 1000, Brussel, BELGIUM.

Mr.Ratnaswamy is inaugurating the VIC Belgium funded programme. The target group women are also seeing in this photo.

The target group women are doing stone breaking and gravel making activity collectively.

‘Vlaams International Centrum’ Belgium has kind enough to provide a loan facility to poor

women to undertake ‘Stone Breaking & Gravel Making Activity’ in the year 1999. These

women are enjoying the profits from stone breaking activity and improved their living

conditions.

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6 ‘Public Awareness campaign Fight

against Nutritional Blindness :

RDS has conducted ‘Public Awareness

campaign’ on Fight against Nutritional

Blindness. 3500 Vitamin-A capsules were

supplied by the ‘Task Force Sight and Life’

Switzerland. We have collected donations

from local philanthropical people and

conducted this campaign very successfully.

7) National Environmental Awareness

Campaigns:

Our organisation has conducted National

Environmental Awareness Campaigns for

the years 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01

with the support of Deccan Development

Society, Hyderabad, A.P. The need to

protect the forests and to develop them and

to plant more number of trees in the

villages and in their lands in order to

improve the environment. Lack of

awareness on environment on the part of

the people is mainly responsible for the

denudation of the forests. All participants

have realized the importance of

environment protection and adopting the

measures for protection and development of

forests.

8) Our organisation promoted Self Help

Groups in many villages in Khajipet

Mandal of Kadapa district. The active and

responsible women one from each group

was identified and provided with leadership

training, community service training,

Books/Records keeping and small

savings/Thrift and credit schemes trainings

etc., The Self Help Group leaders are held

with the responsibility to collect a little sum

from their respective Groups and to deposit

the same with nearby Nationalized bank in

the locality. Now they are working the

same on the line. RDS motivated them in

coalition. We gave the Self Help Group

women the training on various aspects of

their lives. We are creating awareness to

them on various aspects of their lives.

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9) Pulse Polio Programme:

The Executive committee members of

‘R.D.S.’ have actively participated in Pulse

Polio camp. The Executive committee

members have assisted the Primary Health

Centre team in issuing polio drops to the

children age group of 0 to 5 years

belonging to 3 villages.

(10) Skill Training in Tailoring for Poor

Women and Girls :

A tailoring and embroidery training course

for 9 months for a Group of 20 educated

women belonging to the weaker sections

was conducted in Pathur village with the

local peoples donations. The trainer was

given training to these women about

stitching of blouses, Punjabi dresses, school

uniforms, pants, shirts etc.,

11) Vermin-Compost Making Program:

RDS conducted vermin compost making

programme at Khajipet with the support

received from the District Rural

Development Agency, Kadapa. Under this

program 20 farmers were benefited by

increasing their income by making and

selling the vermin compost.

(12) We have organized Legal Awareness

Generation Programme on Human Rights

among the Dalit People in the grass Root

level. The Resource persons who

participated in the awareness programmes

were created awareness on various subjects;

like Equality in the view of Law, Right to

Property, Right to religion, right to individual

freedom, right to have equal opportunities,

right to speech etc., About 122 Dalith people

from 2 villages viz., G.V.Satram and

Kondapeta were participated in this

programme.

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(13) Our organisation working for

empowering Daliths through enhancing their

resources and livelihoods. Land is the main

resource in the rural scenario. We have

focused on acquiring land resource for

Daliths. About 150 acres were distributed to

the Daliths with our organisation’s lobbying

and fighting for the poor dalit women in

Khajipet Mandal. In this photo we can find

the women hold their land pattas.

14. ADULT WOMEN’S EDUCATION PROGRAMME :

Mr.Ratnaswamy is discussing with the adult women learners during literacy programme.

The dalit adult women are learning alphabets in Telugu (Regional language)

Summary :

RDS conducted Adult Literacy programme with the financial support of ‘LITERACY INDIA

TRUST’ Chennai, Tamil Nadu. During evenings, 40 adult women were participated in the

Education classes. We distributed the required study materials as books, slates, slate pencils,

pens, erasers, note books, text books etc., among the target group 40 disabled women. These

women are now able to write their names and sign their names well, able to read and

understand letters mails, to write the same. They are able to recognise name plates, boards,

banners, stickers, posters, wall-writings, bus-boards etc.,

15. AWARENESS GENERATION CAMPS

We conducted awareness camps to instill a

consciousness of the deplorable state of the

under privileged children among the general

public, bureaucracy for effective legislation

and the enforcement of the child rights,

through a concerted advocacy effort.

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16. DRINKING WATER BORE WELLS PROGRAMME :

R.D.S. is a Member of a NGOs Network viz,, Alliance of Voluntary Associations for Rural

Development (AVARD), Kadapa, India; RDS participated in Drinking water bore wells

installation programme conducted by AVARD Network with the financial support of

Startfund Fred Foundation, Netherlands.

The borewell drilling process is going on. Mr.Ratnaswamy President RDS (Member of AVARD Network) is also seeing in the above picture along with other AVARD Network members

Mr.Ratnaswamy is inaugurating a bore well at Pathur village installed by AVARD Network.

17. The organisation has formed Village Committees in all of its target villages.

18. RDS conducted various Health Awareness campaigns including HIV/AIDS Preventive

programmes, TB Prevention Awareness generation camps in different villages of Chennur and

Khajipet Mandal in the years 2000, 2001, 2004 & 2009. The Medical Officer, Primary Health

Centre, Khajipet have voluntarily participated in these awareness generation programmes and

addressed the health problems, facing the rural people regarding the drinking water, the type of

food to eat and sanitation.

And many other programmes were conducted by our ‘Rural Development Society’

since is inception.

(M.RATNASWAMY)

PRESIDENT