A report on extension activity

By: Undertaken by the Faculty of Commerce, Commerce Department of St. Philomena’s College, Mysore in collaboration with Organisation for Development of People (ODP), Mysore

Date and Venue: Held on 23-06-2022 at Indira Colony, Mahadevapure Road, Udayagiri, Mysore.

Theme of the extension activity: 1. Importance of Education

2. Health and Hygiene

Objective of extension activity:

1. To expose the students to the real time experience in a slum to know their problems.
2. To educate the slum dwellers about the importance of educating their children for a better future.
3. To alert the slum SHG women about the importance of good health and hygiene for a better life.
4. To extend a helping hand by distributing few basic requirements related to the theme.

Outcome of extension activity:

1. A collaboration with ODP helped the students to know the role of ODP in the upliftment of the needy and other supports extended to the society.
2. Students who visited the slum understood that there are people in and around who need little more attention.
3. Students were thankful to the College, ODP and the Department for giving them a chance to know the social problems.
4. Students’ initiative to educate the slum SHG women helped themself to know more about the theme.
5. Apart from studies the students got a chance to extend a helping hand to the needy slum SHG women, at least in small scale with the sponsorship and support of the college.
6. The slum SHG women were very happy to meet the students who not only educated them by giving talks but also by performing skits in their preferred language which had a very good impact on them.

    Brief report on the visit:           

Department of Commerce felt the need to provide a chance to the students to know the social problems hence, took efforts to collaborate with ODP in this regard. ODP an organisation which is in constant touch with the needy people in various ways, happily welcomed the collaboration to reach out to the SHG women who belong to Indira Colony, a slum in Udayagiri, Mysore.  ODP Director Rev. Fr. Alex took special interest and extended all support for the meaningful activity. Mrs. Christina, ODP representative, animator of SHG took all effort to gather more than 90 SHG women at the venue and helped in the smooth conduct of the program. 

The extension activity was undertaken on 23-06-2022 at 3pm at Indira colony where more than 40 students who belong to Department of Commerce of 3^rd and 2^nd year volunteered to visit the slum SHG women.  Students who volunteered for the visit made a thorough preparation to make their visit a useful one hence, planned various activities which includes talk by Dr. Reena Francis, HoD, Department of Commerce, on both the themes, 2 skits were performed by students in Tamil and Kannada one each on the theme so that the slum women would understand better. Two students gave talk on the theme one in Kannada language and the other in Tamil language which made all the difference. Students involved the slum women in a game activity and distributed prizes for the first 3 places. All the slum women enjoyed the game. College authorities were very generous and supported with books, pens, soap, toothpaste and biscuits all in 100 each which was distributed by the students at the venue after the program. College management provided bus facility for the students to reach out to the slum and then back to college.

It was indeed a very meaningful effort taken by the faculty and students of Department of Commerce with regard to social cause which concluded at 5pm.