Dear Friends,

This month, we shall talk about Climate Change. This is another Planetary Boundary that we have already crossed. We shall try to understand the consequences as well as the causes behind this phenomenon, and see what can be done by each one of us.

Shrubs stem rounded. Leaves 10-16 x 8-10 cm, smaller in branch-lets; elliptic-ovate to obovate, apex acute or obtuse, base cordate; lateral nerves 5-7 pairs, ad-pressed pubescent when young, becoming glabrous on maturity. Flowers pale purple or greenish-white, 3 cm across; pedicels to 3 cm long, stout; calyx lobes to 3 mm long; corolla campanulate, tube short, lobes ovate to oblong, recurved; staminal corona of 5 vertical lobes, 1 cm long. Fruit saccate, to 6 x 3 cm, ovoid; seeds many. (India Biodiversity Portal.com).

Vivekananda Kendra – Nardep distributed seeds to 100 students of Parvathavarthini Amman School for developing Kitchen garden.  As a part of our follow up, we did a survey to assess the impact of the 100 seeds packets distributed to the students. Following are our observations:

1. All the students have planted the seeds
2. Around 43 students have successfully grown the plant and enjoyed the yield
3. All the students who have successfully grown the seeds were done it so, with the support of Parents

Ms. S. Rajalakshmi, was elected Panchayat President in Alamaruthupatti which is our service area of Swachh Bharat Mission. The total population is 5411 and during 2014-15 23% were without toilet facility. We started working in the area from April 2014 and as president, she felt the need to change the traditional behavior and attitude of the people. We have conducted many motivational programmes, but she has motivated the community individually and explained the importance of toilet facility. We have accepted her request and financially supported her by appointing monitors for motivating people to use the toilets which yielded the desired results.