From: sreddy@athena.mit.edu (Suresh Reddy)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: A youth camp in rural India
Date: 17 Apr 92 15:23:41 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology


	A youth camp in rural India, to be held in the summer of 1992 is
being organized by "Pragati" (progress), a New-England based volunteer
organization, involved in supporting awareness programs in the U.S.,
developmental activities in India and other countries, etc.

	The camp is primarily intended to increase awareness among the
youth of Indian origin and others interested in India, about the
country-life of India .. 

The following is a brief description of the India Youth Camp prepared
and sent by Dr. Bijoy Misra, a member of Pragati. If you are
interested and/or need additional details, please contact at the addresses
listed at the end of this message.

Suresh
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                Service     Awareness     Progress

			     PRAGATI

			INDIA YOUTH CAMP

India Youth Camp is a residential camp for young people, 18 years of age and
above, to be hosted in a rural setting in India.  The mission of the Camp is
to increase awareness among the youth about the country-life in India and to
help contribute to the ongoing development efforts in India in the fields of
education, health care and agriculture through participation in the projects.

Camps will be two weeks to three months in duration and will be sponsored by
Pragati, a US-based volunteer organization, committed to organizing assistance 
to the development efforts in India and other countries in the world in the 
areas of literacy, environment, children's and women's welfare and health 
care.  Twenty campers will be selected to attend the camp at any site and 
will be supported by a registered service organization at the site.  The 
selection of the site and the choice of the service organization will be 
done by the Executive Committee of Pragati through site visits and referrals. 

A pilot project for the India Youth Camp is being undertaken in the summer
of 1992, to be held at Yellamanchili, Andhra Pradesh, India.  The Bhagavatula
Charitable Trust, a renowned service organization, known for their work in
wasteland development and literary promotion, will act as hosts in India.
The duration of the Camp is from August 3 to August 17, 1992.  Campers can
extend their stay for two more weeks at the site or take the option of
visiting sites of interest in India.  The group departure from New York will
be on August 1, 1992 and the return flight will be from New Delhi on August 31,
1992.  The total cost of the Camp, including discounted air tickets, will be
around US$1400 and the additional cost for the tour will be around US$600
(the exact numbers are being negotiated with the air-carriers).

Application forms for the Camp can be obtained by writing to  Pragati,
9 Chauncy Street, Unit 12, Cambridge, MA 02138.  The selected candidates will
be intimated by May 31, 1992.  All applicants will be invited to participate 
in an orientation workshop to be held in Cambridge, MA on June 13, 1992.  
The selected candidates will be asked to furnish a doctor's certificate of 
physical examination and must possess valid international health insurance 
coverage.  


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		India Youth Camp '92 at Yellamanchili

Location and Activities:

The village Yellamanchili is located on the coast of Bay of Bengal, 50 miles 
southwest of Visakhapatnam (18N,83.5E), a medium size city of about
500,000 people.  Visakhapatnam has an airport, hospital facilities and shopping
centers.  It's a historical city known for its religious shrines.  A ship yard
and a steel plant are the modern additions to the city.  The local spoken 
language is Telugu.   

The residence for Campers at Yellamanchili will be in a newly developed
and well maintained farm.  Campers will have dormitory style housing with
electricity, hot water and modern sanitary facilities.  Vegetarian meals 
will be provided in the attached cafetaria.  Non-vegetarian cook-outs can 
be arranged if there's general interest. The site has an adjacent infirmary 
with modern equipment.  Ground transportation is arranged to Visakhapatnam
in case of emergency.

The Bhagavatula Charitable Trust (BCT) is led by Dr. B. V. Parameswara Rao,
a former resident of US and presently a pioneer in wasteland development and 
literacy promotion in India.  BCT has made major contributions to the economy 
of the local low lands through its efforts on non-formal education, skills 
training for independent work and organization of women's groups.  Its 
work in farming and dairy has evoked national interest.

The Campers' activities will be conducted by trained Camp coordinators,
designated by BCT.  Campers may participate in any of the ongoing programs 
of BCT or may formulate their own programs in collaboration with the Camp 
coordinators.  Enrichment activities on language training and cultural 
workshops will be arranged.  Visits to Andhra University and other sites 
of interest may be arranged through the Camp coordinators.

Environment:

The average temperature in the Visakhapatnam area in August is around 80F 
with occasional rain.  Sea breeze and vegetation cover can bring the night 
temperatures down to a balmy 65F.  The  coastal water temperature averages 
around 60F.  The area abounds with fresh water streams and ponds.  Summer 
fruits and vegetables are available in plenty.  In general, the summer 
in India is hot and rainy.  Northern India is hotter than southern India.     

The Andhra culture is rich in its tradition and poetry, reminding of the
glorious time that the area enjoyed in the past.  The local people at
Yellamanchili make a living through agriculture and handicrafts, and are 
well known for their hospitality and helping attitude.  One of the most 
important things one finds is that the people are most eager to learn new 
techniques and are industrious enough to apply them for economic independence!

Happy Camping!

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For further information or queries, please call Dr. Bijoy Misra 
at (617)864-5121 or Mr. A. Sasidharan at (617)628-4824 or Ms. Madhuri Ranade
at (617)776-4491. You may also send a message to
misra@cfa.harvard.edu. 

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