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Metrural: Bridging rural, urban India

Sankar Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI, Oct. 22

VISUALISE a situation in which suburban and rural communities are able to develop managers from within, managers who will take charge of community resources such as schools, libraries, health centres and the like, and run them efficiently. Further, think of the advantages such a system can offer -- trained managers who are willing to work within their own communities and are able to manage more effectively because they are aware of the needs and quirks of their community.

This thesis is at the heart of a concept paper on `Metrural' children presented by S. Suresh on behalf of the Chennai-based Divine Mother Society (DMS) at a recent seminar on `Shaping managers for the future'. Suresh says that the idea is the result of t he DMS' community-oriented work with the people of Alamandhi village near Chennai. He says this concept focuses only on children living in the rural areas that surround metros -- hence the tag `metrural' -- because of certain unique features they possess .

These children who live on the outskirts of cities, says Suresh, have access to urban facilities while simultaneously possessing several features of rural India. He maintains that they are not weighed down by the problems that confront children in rural areas and at the same time do not have the jaded and worldly wise attitudes that the less privileged children in urban India often exhibit. For instance, these `metrural' children are more eager to learn, less prone to absenteeism and more likely to stay on in the village, says Suresh.

He says that the concept does not involve making any direct payments to the participating children. Instead, it's based more on creating an environment for learning. The concept developed by the DMS envisages providing the children with access to an Inte rnet-enabled computer and other educational aids such as books, and also a space to study in. The scheme also focuses on ensuring that these children are able to stay healthy through regular health check ups.

In addition, the concept paper outlines the need to support the education of these children, at least till they complete college. It also envisages a constant monitoring of the academic performance of the students, thus enabling the sponsors of the schem e to take corrective action if required.

Suresh says that the children who are a part of this programme will be involved in all the activities of the community and can also be resource persons for NGOs and other bodies working in the community. He says that their local knowledge coupled with th eir education and training make them a very powerful resource for any organisation entering the rural market. The beauty of the scheme perhaps lies in the fact that it enables the sponsors to do their bit for society, while simultaneously obtaining acces s to a vast pool of professionals. Is corporate India listening?