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THE INSPIRATION
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Swami Chinmayananda
Swami
Chinmayananda, Founder of Chinmaya Mission is the inspiration behind
CORD. It is his vision that translates into and permeates the very
structure of this organization.
Swami Chinmayananda said, "Let
us be humble and grateful for the opportunities available to us to
serve the society and the world."
In the 42 years of his service
to humanity, Swamiji left his footprints in a variety of projects that
sprang up, and still continue to mushroom under the banner of the
Chinmaya Mission. For him, there was nothing to gain or lose by working
in the world. Yet, he wanted to provide his devotees with many an
avenue to grow to their fullest stature.
Swami Chinmayananda saw
these projects as fields for devotees to perform selfless service. He
himself took every opportunity to serve, give and love, leaving behind
a rich legacy of works of service, including: a 200-bed hospital, a
number of clinics and diagnostic centers, rural upliftment projects,
schools, temples, old-age homes and orphanages.
Swami Tejomayananda
When
the founder of Chinmaya Mission passed on, the mantle of leadership
draped the shoulders of Swami
Tejomayananda. He took over where his
Guru left off. He followed his own advice to, "fill the heart with love
and gratitude. "The phenomenal growth of Chinmaya Mission under his
leadership amply proves the success of his philosophy.
The work
of CORD is specially dear to Swamiji's heart. His vision and direction
is the heart of the program. Though hard pressed for time, its
activities and growth receive his personal attention.
In
December, 2003 under his stewardship, the service projects of the
Mission were brought under the banner of CORD. After this,
developmental work in Lathikatta (which had already started) picked up.
New branches in Deuldiha, Tamraipakkam, Kaza and Siruvani came into
existence.
His philosophy is simple. "We work with inspiration.
We trust in God, and Pujya Gurudev's blessings and that trust is our
main strength. Abiding in our trust and knowledge, if we start any
service, we should just go on doing it. Do your work, for work is
worship, and work shows worth."
"INITIATE, WORK SINCERELY, AND SURRENDER" - Swami Tejomayananda
Dr. Kshama Metre
Dr Kshama Metre popularly known as “Doctor Didi” is the national director of
CORD, which stands for Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development. Dr Metre has
dedicated her life to CORD which is a participatory, comprehensive, integrated
and sustainable rural development project. CORD was initiated in Sidhbari in
Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, covering over 550 villages and now has
spread its wings in Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Dr Kshama Metre was born on June 26, 1950 in Nagpur, Maharashtra to Smt
Shantabai Metre and Shri Waman Rao Bapuji Metre who was honoured with Padma
Vibhusan for his pioneering work in the oil industry. As a child she moved with
her family from Assam to Delhi where she graduated with distinction in Senior
Cambridge from Frank Anthony Public School and proceeded to get her MBBS and MD
in Pediatrics from Maulana Azad Medical College. She completed her Senior
Residency in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital in Delhi. Dr Metre continued
on to establish a very successful practice in Pediatrics in Delhi. In spite of
her success, Dr Metre was greatly inspired by her father to live a life of
simple living, high thinking and service to the nation.
After a chance meeting with world renowned Vedanta Master Swami Chinmayanandaji,
Dr Metre decided to give up her practice and worldly comfort to join the Mission
to discover one’s inner wealth through work and wisdom. Her development work
began in 1985 in Sidbhari, Himachal Pradesh with mother and child health
services through 10 sub-centers and training of 120 nurses in 4 batches. Soon
with input and feedback from the community, forward and backward linkages were
built based on their needs. As a result, an integrated rural development model
emerged which was successful and could be replicated with local modifications.
Most important, this participatory development model empowered the community to
be self respecting and self reliant. Components of the program include community
based organizations such as:
• 563 Women Groups known as Mahila Mandals with 22,000 members
• 220 Youth & Men Groups
• 1490 Self Help Groups
• Adolescent Girls’ Group with 10,300 members
• Bal Vihar with 75 groups for children
• Income generation activities for 13,000 underprivileged men and women
in farm and allied sector as well as non farm sector and service sectors
• Provision of informal legal aid to 365 resolved cases
• Community health and sanitation programmes
• Community based rehabilitation programme for inclusion of 448 disabled
people in main stream society
• Promotion and implementation of natural resource management
• Strengthening of 222 local self governance units known as Panchayats
with focus on women
In all of Dr Metre’s work emphasis is placed on issues such as gender
discrimination, HIV/AIDS and alcohol abuse awareness and treatment of
alcoholics. Moreover, Dr Metre works very closely with the National Bank of
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and has been instrumental in
establishing Micro Credit through Self Help Groups in four states of India where
training has been given to 30,000 bankers, government functionaries and
beneficiaries. She is also an active advocate of disability issues.
From Sidhbari since 2005 CORD began expanding its activities in other states of
India covering 5 other sites. Now CORD is planning to upscale its training
components to increase its outreach through its sites in India & share its work
on different components with Govt. and other NGOs.
Awards and Recognitions
Dr Kshama Metre has won several awards and recognitions for her contribution to
the society
• Padma Shri Award given by the President of India in 2008 for Social
Services.
• Nina Sibal Award in 2006 for inclusion of persons with different abilities.
• Nominated as a member of the 11th Planning Commission (Primary
Health Care), Govt. of India, for the period 2007 to 2012.
• Sadguru Ganananda Award in 2005 for excellence in Social Service
• Featured in “Prophets of India” in 2004
• National Women Commission Award for Women Empowerment in 2002
• Received Ojaswini Award in 2000 for excellence in Service
• Nominated for “Women of the Year” by Week Magazine in 1993
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MISSION
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To facilitate integrated, sustainable social help programs in local communities and in the Indian subcontinent through processes of self-empowerment and
enrichment.
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OBJECTIVES
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- To initiate and encourage CORD supporters to give back to their individual
communities by serving those in need.
- To develop and strengthen a comprehensive, convergent, sustainable and participatory rural development program.
- To empower rural women, men and youth.
- To help increase economic self-reliance through micro-credit, income generation schemes and village-level enterprise.
- To provide community based healthcare through preventive and
promotional measures as well as provide primary healthcare services
through dispensaries.
- To provide community based rehabilitation for the disabled.
- To help strengthen local self-governance.
- To create environmental awareness and implement natural resource management.
- To improve education, promote literacy and value-based education.
- To promote and facilitate social justice.
- To increase the capacity of women, men, youth and children to uplift
their communities and themselves and fire their latent potential
through community based organizations.
- To network and
collaborate with institutions, individuals, non-governmental
organizations, governmental agencies and donors agencies to reinforce
and promote the objectives of CORD.
- To conduct training programs towards fulfillment of all objectives.
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FUNDING
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CORD's work has been supported by various agencies and people from different corners of the world.
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Ford Foundation
- Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD)
- Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
- Abilis Foundation, Pentagon Charitable Trust
- People's Science Institute (PSI)
- Sir Rattan Tata Trust (SRTT)
- National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD)
- Orissa State Government
- Grow Talent Co. Pvt. Ltd.
- Corporate Sector
- Trusts and many other individual donors
