Suggestive list of activities

The aim of the Regular and special Camping Programme is to bring youth face to face with the community and make efforts to improve their life. The NSS volunteers are to devote about 80 hours in Regular Activities for the development of the adopted village. Special Camping has been conceived as an opportunity to live with that community for 7 days, and experience the conditions and problems of the people. The NSS volunteers need to be inspired to take initiatives for the improvement of their condition. Although the focus of the Special Camps change periodically and regular programmes are organized in response to the community needs at the micro-level, some broad areas of activities are enumerated below:-

(a) Environment Enrichment and Conservation:

Where as there would be a main theme for the special camping Programme, activities aimed at environment - enrichment would be organized under the sub-theme of" Youth for Better Environment". The activities under this sub-theme would inter-alia, include:

• (i) Plantation of trees, their preservation and upkeep (each NSS unit should plant and protect at least 1000 saplings);
• (ii) Creation of NSS parks/gardens.
• (iii) Construction & maintenance of village streets, drains, etc. so as to keep the environment clean;
• (iv) Construction of sanitary latrines etc.
• (v) Cleaning of village ponds and wells;
• (vi) Popularization and construction of Gobar Gas Plants, use of non-conventional energy;
• (vii) Environmental sanitation and disposal of garbage & composting;
• (viii) Prevention of soil erosion, and work for soil conservation,
• (ix) Watershed management and wasteland development
• (x) Preservation and upkeep of monuments, and creation of consciousness about the preservation of cultural heritage among the community.

(b) Health, Family Welfare and Nutrition Programme:

(i) Programme of mass immunization;

(ii) Working with people in nutrition programmes with the help of Home Science and medical college students;

(iii) Provision of safe and clean drinking water;

(iv) Integrated child development programmes;

(v) Health education, AIDS Awareness and preliminary health care.

(vi) Population education and family welfare programme;

(vii) Life style education centres and counseling centres.

(c) Programmes aimed at creating an awareness for improvement of the status of women:

They may, inter-alia, include:

• (i) Programmes of educating people and making them aware of women's rights both constitutional and legal;
• (ii) Creating consciousness among women that they too contributed to economic and social well-being of the community;
• (iii) Creating awareness among women that there is no occupation or vocation which is not open to them provided they acquire the requisite skills; and
• (iv) Imparting training to women in sewing, embroidery, knitting and other skills wherever possible.
• (v) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

(d) Social Service Programmes:

Depending on the local needs and priorities, the following activities/programmes may be undertaken:-

• (i) Work in hospitals, for example, serving as ward visitors to cheer the patients, help the patients, arranging occupational or hobby activities for long term patients, guidance service for out-door-patients including guiding visitors about hospital's procedures, letter writing and reading for the patients admitted in the hospital; follow up of patients discharged from the hospital by making home visits and places of work, assistance in running dispensaries etc.
• (ii) Work with the organisations of child welfare;
• (iii) Work in institutions meant for physically and mentally handicapped;
• (iv) Organising blood donation, eye pledge programmes;
• (v) Work in Cheshire homes, orphanages, homes for the aged etc.;
• (vi) Work in welfare organisations of women;
• (vii) Prevention of slums through social education and community action;

(e) Production Oriented Programmes:

(i) Working with people and explaining and teaching improved agricultural practices;

(ii) Rodent control land pest control practices;

(iii) Weed control;

(iv) Soil-testing, soil health care and soil conservation;

(v) Assistance in repair of agriculture machinery;

(vi) Work for the promotion and strengthening of cooperative societies in villages;

(vii) Assistance and guidance in poultry farming, animal husbandry, care of animal health etc.;

(viii) Popularization of small savings and

(ix) Assistance in procuring bank loans

(f) Relief & Rehabilitation work during Natural Calamities: These programme would enable the students to understand and share the agonies of the people affected in the wake of natural calamities like cyclone, flood, earthquakes, etc. The main emphasis should be on their participation in programmes, and working with the people to overcome their handicaps, and assisting the local authorities in relief and rehabilitation work in the wake of natural calamities. The NSS students can be involved in:-

(i) assisting the authorities in distribution of rations, medicine, clothes etc.;

(ii) assisting the health authorities in inoculation and immunization, supply of medicine etc.;

(iii) working with the local people in reconstruction of their huts, cleaning of wells, building roads etc.;

(iv) assisting and working with local authorities in relief and rescue operation;

(v) collection of clothes and other materials, and sending the same to the affected areas;

(f) Education and Recreations:

• Activities in this field could include:
• (i) adult education (short-duration programmes);
• (ii) pre-school education programmes;
• (iii) programmes of continuing education of school drop outs, remedial coaching of students from weaker sections;
• (iv) work in creches ;
• (v) participatory cultural and recreation programmes for the community including the use of mass media for instruction and recreation, programmes of community singing, dancing etc.;
• (vi) organisation of youth clubs, rural land indigenous sports in collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendras;
• (vii) programmes including discussions on eradications of social evils like communalism, castism, regionalism, untouchability, drug abuse etc.;
• (viii) non-formal education for rural youth and
• (ix) legal literacy, consumer awareness.
• (X) Swacch Bharat Mission
• (XI) Digital awareness,
• (XII) Voter awareness.

The above is only an illustrative list of the type of activities that can be undertaken, Under the programme it would be open to each NSS Unit to undertake one of these programmes or any other activity which may seem desirable to them according to local needs, The NSS Unit should aim at the integrated development of the area selected for its operation which could be a village or a slum. It has also to be ensured that at least a part of the programme does involve manual work.