Mitraniketan

Home of Friends

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Mitraniketan is a Gandhian based non profit and non governmental organization that has pioneered people centered rural development. Viswanathan founded Mitraniketan, the Home of Friends, in 1956.
Mitraniketan´s main objectives are:
• Education of disadvantaged social groups,
• the development of sustainable agriculture,
• the development of rural technology and
• the empowerment of women.
It strives to integrate formal and non formal education in its activities and follows a need based and life oriented concept.

Mitraniketan functions as a community in a 50 acre campus where all its activities are housed. Around 500 members are studying and working in the community. They are mostly living in the campus.
The major development activities of Mitraniketan are:
• Nursery & Kindergarten: They are provided with a midday meal and transportation at a reasonable cost, and their training program is based on the concept that “play is children’s work”.
• School for disadvantaged children: The school is the core of Mitraniketan community where students can undergo both formal and non formal education along with opportunities for practical learning (skill training).
• Peoples College for youth (MPC): aims to provide opportunities for continuing education and impart the spirit of lifelong learning for empowering rural youth.
• Farm Science Centre (Krishi Vigyan Kendra): It mainly works on transfer of technology with the objective to bridge the gap between technology and farmer.
• Rural Technology Centre (RTC): RTC is primarily a Training Cum Production Centre aimed at creating employment to rural youth. It also contributes to technology transfer programs supporting rural growth. This covers the areas of drinking water and sanitation, biomass utilization, non conventional energy sources and artisan tools and machineries.
• Women Empowerment programs: The women potential can be developed through creating awareness, developing their functional capability, and organizing them in Self Help Groups.
• Study Centre of NIOS for certification: Vocational classes for Secondary students include: Certificate in Computer hardware assembly & maintenance; Certificate in Basic Computing; Plumbing; electrical; carpentry; and Certificate in plant protection (agricultural) skills.
• Legal aid clinic: The clinic will give legal guidance, counseling, support of consul and impart awareness on legal rights of women, children and weaker sections of the society.
• Community Mediation Centre: Trained volunteers at Mitraniketan will assist the disputing parties in arriving at a mutually acceptable solution of their dispute.
• Education Extension Centre (wayanad): The centre focuses on the empowerment of tribal youth, especially women. A solar energy project is also implementing in the tribal dominated panchayath at Kartikulm
• Research and Development in appropriate technology (Under DST CORE SUPPORT)

Dr. Reghu Rama Das is the Joint Director at Mitraniketan.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.