Collaborative - Community Outreach Programmes

Community outreach Programmes has gained its importance and momentum since last few decades. The country like India, has realized the importance of rural development due to increase in divide between rural and urban sectors. The task of development is vast in terms of reach and issues. Until today, we are struggling to provide basic needs to people of our country. For government to tackle alone the development issues of health, education, poverty or hunger of our vast population residing in rural and tribal areas seems to be an impossible task. The need of an hour is to join hands together to achieve the development goals. The partners in development work are voluntary organization, Non-government organizations, Philanthropists, charitable trusts and NGOs emerged out of corporate social responsibility. According to the reports on community development programmes from various developing and developed countries development projects undertaken in collaboration with partner agencies has found to be successful in bringing about desirable changes in intended communities.

University Grants commission has made mandatory for all universities to contribute towards community outreach programmes Universities have abundance of knowledge and vast young human resource to work in development sector. If universities plan, their development projects in collaboration with government agencies would reap larger benefit to the concerned target group.

Rural extension wing of the department of extension and communication has contributed towards community development programmes through its "Field Experience course, various development projects in collaboration with government agencies like DRDA, and NGOs like SVADES, and CSRs like Reliance communication cell of RIL, Vadodara, Atapi Foundation an NGO emerged as CSR from Transmetal pvt. Limited, Vadodara. The contribution of university extension department may be a drop in the ocean, but could avoid repetition and could create a stronger impact on the target group.

This report describes about various community development projects undertaken in collaboration with government agencies. NGOs and CSRS, which may help other universities and departments to plan and undertake such development ventures to create greater impact in the development sector. Let us all be a part of development work and take our country to new heights.

Avani Maniar and Varsha Parikh