Social Work – Newsletter - Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts & Science (KCLAS)

Rural Immersion Program

Street Theatre for change

Certificate Course on “Understanding Rural Perspectives with PARI”

The majority of India, an estimated 65% of the population, is rural. To begin to document, disseminate and act upon issues facing this majority, it becomes essential for social work learners to develop an understanding rooted in perspectives of people who will be primary participants in the welfare process. However, the imagination of rural people, landscapes and issues among typical urban and peri-urban learners remains sequestered in stereotypes far removed from actual social and ethical realities. In this context, the Department of Social Work proposes to partnered with People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI)’s Education initiative to offer a certificate course in “Understanding Rural Perspectives with PARI”. The course explored rural India, rural realities and rural perspectives to understand social issues such as farming crisis, gender, caste and migration. Learners were exposed to skills to help them empathetically document rural issues. The best reporting from the course assignments will be published on the PARI Education website.

The course was opened to undergraduates from KCLAS and other colleges in addition to MSW students. Of the nearly 70 applications received, 13 were selected for the course taking the total participants to 30 (15 MSW students, 13 undergraduate students and 2 faculty from MSW).

Priti David, Education Editor and Vishaka George, Social Media Editor used contrasting narratives of rural India found in mainstream media and stories at PARI to unpack the stereotypes of rural India and the complexities of real issues facing rural populations. They used stories and reportage on varied, intersecting themes, such as agriculture, migration, crafts and so on, to illustrate the important of nuanced, in-depth, qualitative reporting in direct voices of people who live and represent these issues.

Kanika Gupta from PARI introduced students to the FACES project which aims to capture the diversity of how people in India look through a map of faces from every block of every district in India.

Palani Kumar, photographer, PARI shared his journey and process of photography with students to help them understand the significance of perspective beyond the camera, the necessity of immersion in lives that one seeks to document and the essentiality of a process that allows the story to unfold on its own terms.

Kavitha Muralidharan, independent journalist and volunteer with PARI, shared her experiences with reporting diverse stories, with a focus on those around the Coimbatore region and through this sharing helped students understand how she sought and discovered stories and the ways in which effective translation between local language to English may be approached.

The two-day course was concluded with an assignment briefing for students and discussion on timelines for them to produce their story.

Placements of final semester students

The School of Social Work congratulates students of the outgoing batch of social workers who have secured placements in various organisations. Ms. Priyanga P (Community Development) was placed as Consultant (Technology & Innovation), Learning Links foundation. Mr. Mahendran (Human Resources) was placed as Management Trainee, Lakshmi Machine Works Limited. Ms. Bharathi (Community Development) was placed as Centre Associate, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation.

Practice based learning: Concurrent field work placements

A key pedagogic approach of social work curriculum is concurrent field work placements, where students work for three days each week while they synthesise and integrate their practice-based learning with theory classes for the rest of the week. Students of MSW have started their 2nd and 4th semester concurrent field work training at nearly 20 organizations in and around the Coimbatore city, some of them are Coimbatore Cancer Foundation (CCF), CIEL HR, Human Animal Society (HAS), Nilgiris Adivasis Welfare Association (NAWA), Siruthuli, National Child Labour Project, Swarga Foundation, Native Medical Charitable Trust (NMCT), Maatram Deaddiction Centre, Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Ahal Psychiatric Hospital, Naveen Hospital, Sri Selvam Textiles and so on.

Practice Based learning

II MSW students Ms. Treesa Maria Antony & Ms. Santhanas Mariyal at Naveen Hospital.

Ms. Priyanga of II MSW at Learning Links Foundation

Faculty Development Programs

Certificate of Dr. Emmanuel Daniel.

Journey towards Mankind!

Social Work is a field-based program, our students of 1styear Master of Social Work visited eight different organizations along with the faculty members Dr. Lakshmi Narasimhan, Dr. Emmanuel Daniel, Dr. Preetha K V and Ms. P. Mythili Devi of the department of social work, to widen the horizon of the challenges faced by different communities in the society.

Nithilyam Special School and Rehabilitation Centre (NISSARC), located at Chinniyampalayam, Coimbatore, works for the skill development of special children. They are also working with the multidisciplinary team along with parents of special children to ensure the upliftment of those children.

Master of Social Work students with the founder of NISSARC Mrs. Gayathri Sampath.

Coimbatore Cancer Foundation, Coimbatore is working on the emotional support, psychological therapy and rehabilitation of cancer patients and their care givers.

The students of 1st year MSW with Coimbatore Cancer Foundation team.

Udhavum Karangal, Located at Maruthamalai, Coimbatore, working for the welfare of the needy and the people who need physical and psychological care. They are providing treatment, care, rehabilitation, and education for those people.

The students of 1st MSW with the faculty members at Udhavum Karangal organization.

Swarga Foundation, situated at Puliyakulam road, Coimbatore, established to improve the lives of people with Multiple Sclerosis and other neuro-muscular disorders.

MSW students with the founder of SWARGA foundation Mrs. J. Swarnalatha.

Vidhya Vanam, a school affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education, working with the tribal and underprivileged children in and around Anaikatti, Nilgris in the field of education. To nurture tribal children to become self-confident, motivated, knowledgeable, and emotionally stable adults who will be the leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

The students of 1st MSW at the automobile classroom of Vidhya Vanam School, Anaikatti.

National Child Labour Project is the Central Sector Scheme introduced to prevent child labour practice in India. The unit working in District Collectorate in Coimbatore City regularly monitors and rescues the children from Child labour practices in and around Coimbatore region.

The students of 1st MSW along with NCLP director Dr. Vijay Kumar at District Collectorate NCLP unit, Coimbatore.

Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, unit working in Commissioner office of Coimbatore, established under the Ministry of Home Affairs, India involved in identifying, investigating human trafficking and rescues the victims in and around the city.

The students of MSW with Sub-Inspector Mrs. Premalatha, AHTU at Commissioner Office, Coimbatore.

Keystone Foundation, Nilgris, is a non-governmental organization working on sustainable harvesting and to enhance the life of indigenous community through eco-developmental approaches.

The students of MSW with the Key stone foundation team.

Creating an Impact!

The students of 1st Year MSW staged a street play to commemorate the International Human Rights Day on 10th December 2021. The year 2021 theme relates to “Equality”. The students performed a street play on campus highlighting discrimination against trans people.

The students of 1st MSW performing Street theatre on Campus.

Join Hands!

School of Social work along with The Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Coimbatore did a socio-economic need assessment in Gondi Nagar Gondu Community and involved in grocery kit distribution to 226 households in partner with Responsenet and KARE unit of Kumaraguru Institutions.

Distribution of Grocery Kit to the Gondu community woman by 1st MSW students.

Budding Social Workers!

The students of 2nd year MSW, Ms. Bharathi, Mr. Dharmaraj, Mr. Karthikeyan Swamy V, Mr. Mahendran R and Ms Priyanga have done their internships from 6thDecember – 31stDecember in Key Stone foundation, Coimbatore. During their internship they took part in organising the stakeholder workshop and exhibition.

The student interns of 2nd MSW along with Faculty Dr. Emmanuel Daniel at Keystone Foundation Exhibition.

Learning Minds!

The Department organized a workshop on “Gender and Sexuality” on 17th December 2021 with Nirangal Organization working for the welfare of trans community. To sensitize the social workers towards the challenges faced by the trans people because of social exclusion.

Students of 1st MSW, Faculty and Resource Persons Siva and Delphia of Nirangal, during an activity in the workshop.