BIBLE CUM VOCATIONAL SCHOOL - est. Jan. 1960
Young girls are trained to go as missionaries to different parts of India. Some former students are working as missionaries through IMS (Indian Missionary Society), FMPB (Friends Missionary Prayer Band), GEMS (Gospel Echoing Missionary Society) or as private missionaries. They are also given life skill training and vocational training, like typewriting, tailoring and computing.
The Bible Cum Vocational School girls visit the Activity Centres in the villages to give value education and entertain the children with songs and puppet shows. |
Subjects for one year:
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1. Bible 2. Tailoring 3. Crafts 4. Embroidery 5. Cooking 6. Health Education 7. Kitchen Gardening 8. Cattle’s Rearing – Cows, Goats, Poultry 9. Home Management a) Book Keeping - Accounts b) Mess Management 10. Memorizing Bible Verses 11. Reading Bible (One Year Plan) 12. Evangelism – Theory and Practical 13. Social Education OPTIONAL SUBJECTS 1. Typing Exam a) English b) Tamil 2. Sewing Exam a) Cutting & Dress Making b) Embroidery 3. Computer DCA, PGDCA 4. Music 5. Spoken English |
MAGILCHI ILLAM - est. Oct. 2005
Magilchi Illam is a Boarding Home for the children at risk. It is a home away from home for the 63 girls, who come from vulnerable families. They are either semi-orphans or orphans and some of them are also physically challenged. The children study from 1st standard till college. If they wouldn't be at the Boarding Home, they would not be able to go to school and probably work as child laborers or enter into a child marriage. Apart from ensuring the education, the girls also learn important life skills, self-governance and caring for each other. The main donor is the Kindernothilfe (KNH) from Germany. We are also very thankful for all the private donors, especially former volunteers and church communities.
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TYPEWRITING - est. 1980
Typewriting is one of the vocational trainings given to the young women in and around Nagalapuram. Every day, around 120 young girls are coming to the Centre to learn typewriting. If they pass 4 typewriting examinations, it is possible for them to get a government job. They take 2 examinations every year, in February/March and July/August.
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TAILORING - est. Oct. 1991
Tailoring is a half a day class for young girls and women. They learn 17 different kinds of dress making and have to make an album. After finishing the 6 months of training, certificates will be given. They can use this certificate to get the free machines from the Union and social welfare scheme.
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COMPUTING - est. 2001
Another vocational training is computing. We are teaching them DCA (Diploma in Computer Application), PGCA (Post Graduate Computer Application) and COA (Computer on Office Automation). The duration of the course is 6 months to one year and 2 times in a year they have an exam.
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VOLUNTEERS FROM ABROAD
Every year the German organization Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) sends volunteers to work with the children and young women at the WWTC. The United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) from England and Indiens Gruppen from Denmark are occasionally sending volunteers to the WWTC for volunteer work. They use their skills and talents to teach the children English, handwork, music and games. They also help with the administrative work.
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SAMATHANA ILLAM (Day Care Centre for senior citizens) - est. April 2001
Elderly women who do not have families to care for them, attend the Day Care Centre for senior citizens. They come in the morning and get some tea and snacks. They have some memory, concentration and finger-coordination games to retain their memory and concentration power. At noon they get a nutritious lunch and take some dinner home.
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DAY CARE CENTRE (for children) - est. Sept. 2009
A Day Care Centre for children was established in 2009 for the children between 2 ½ and 5 years old. As the parents are daily laborers, they leave their children at the Day Care Centre, while they are working. They have indoor and outdoor games. Apart from that, they also do some projects with the teacher's help and learn some Tamil and English.
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ECO DEMONSTRATION CENTRE - est. 2017
One of the main activities that are being carried out at the WWTC are ecological programs. We have established an Eco demonstration centre at the Ebenzer Service Cum Demonstration Centre, to teach children and women around Nagalapuram and the college students from Nagalapuram. Through this demonstration centre we give awareness about the ecological issues (f.e. plastics,...) and climate change happening in the world and what we can do to change it. One of the principles we teach is: reduce, reuse and recycle.
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LINKAGES WITH THE DIOCESAN PASTORATES, OTHER NGO'S AND INDIVIDUALS
Different pastorates in the Thoothukudi-Nazareth Diocese and the Thirunelveli Diocese are using the Ebenzer Service Cum Demonstration Centre for conducting their retreats, children meetings, women fellowship meetings and witnessing week program. Apart from that, the local village panchayat training program, farmers training and government anganwadi teacher's meetings are now and then conducted at the farm.
Sometimes individual people and prayer groups use the farm for prayer meetings. We have a playground for children, so once a week the village children use the playground. We demonstrate how to prepare Panchakaviya (organic catalyst) for the farmers. There are also some individuals who come and learn it from us, to use it for their fields. |
ACTIVITY CENTER at the farm
One Activity Center is functioning at the farm, for the benefit of three villages.
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ACTIVITY CENTERS in the villages
16 Activity Centers are functioning in the villages for the benefit of 20 villages. The local young girls and women were selected from the villages by the village development committee. They were given training to facilitate the Activity Centers. The Activity Centers function from Monday to Saturday. After school the children go to the Activity Centers to get help to complete their homework. They also play indoor and outdoor games and learn about things like dental health, general knowledge,...
Once in three month a parents meeting is conducted at the Activity Centers. Every Friday or Saturday they do some special activities, apart from the education. They conduct cultural programs, children association meetings, health education, reading library books etc. The children association consists of three groups: the education and child protection group, the environmental sanitation group (children movement for climate justice) and the cultural group. The children organize their own activities, like rallies for giving awareness on the environment or cleaning the villages with the self-help group members. |
CARING FOR LIVESTOCK
The main occupations in Vilathikulam-Taluk are agriculture and livestock. Only once a year, the people cultivate their land, so most of the people depend upon livestock rearing. We have trained couples in the villages to care for the livestock. Two of these people are using their acquired skill to work in 35 villages. The mortality rate is practically nil in this area, as these two people are regularly doing the immunization and giving treatments for chicken, goats, sheep, buffaloes and cows. Buffaloes and cows are becoming really rare in our area. Whenever the two people need help, they contact the veterinarians. For the last two years, our trained persons are using organic treatments for the livestock, f.e. for deworming the animals, they use leaves of different plants that grow during the raining season.
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COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
There are self-help groups, village development committees, children associations and young girls associations in the villages.
The self-help groups and village development committees are functioning in 10 villages. They were trained on how to deal with the social issues, arising in their villages. Child protection officers were appointed by these groups and are given training periodically to deal with the children and women issues. They are working in all the villages. The children association is functioning in 16 villages. They meet once a month and discuss about their issues and contact the child protection officer of their village. The young girls association is functioning in 15 villages. They were also given training on child rights and dealing with the different abuses happening, f.e. knowledge on contact numbers etc. |