CORD or Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development started its journey in 1985, as Chinmaya Rural Primary Health Care and Training Centre in Sidhbari, Himachal Pradesh. The programme began with an Out Patient Clinic at the Sidhbari Ashra, training 120 multi-purpose female health workers, village health guides, traditional birth attendants and the setting up of 6 health sub-centres in remote areas where the government health services had not yet reached.
With interactions with other people, it was realised that isolated health programmes were not sufficient to break the vicious cycle of poverty and ill health. Also, unfortunately, health schemes were not really implemented with a gap between policy makers, implementers and society at large. It was in this background that CORD formed the Mahila Mandals or villahe women's clubs in 1987 and began discussing the issues village women faced. Thus began the journey of the multi-sector and the multi-pronged, yet convergent programme that CORD is today.
The following link takes you on a visit to CORD (Sidhbari, Kangra district). It is video made by members of CORD (USA) on their visit of Kangra Valley:
As history can bear witness, CORD has expanded into several domains over the years. Each programme of CORD is based on four core principles: active Participation, Integration, Networking and Sustainability (PISN). These pillars have taken CORD to its present name and form in 2003 and to three other states namely, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andra Pradesh, covering over 700 villages and transforming the lives of more than half a million of people.
In 2012, Dr Kshama Metre, the national director of CORD (Sidhbari) received the Guardian International Development Achievement Award 2012, in recognition of the outstanding work done by CORD under her stewardship. Every award is bound to strengthen CORD's commitment to its cause. As Dr Metre said in her acceptance speech, CORD is grateful to many "unheard and unseen practitioners of development at the grassroots." Listen to her acceptance speech at the following link:
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| Activities at CORD (Sidhbari) |
Each year, Holton students visit CORD and get to witness the effort being made for rural development by CORD.
"I was fascinated by the beautiful artwork produced by the deaf men and women."
-Jazmyn M (holtonindia2012,blogspot.in)
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| Holton students at CORD |
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