NSS Annual Camp - Muthappanpuzha, Anakkampoyil

23 Nov 2002 to 02 Dec 2002

First Day

              We started our journey to the campsite with the required tools for our work, food and other requirements for the camp on 24^th November at 9 in the morning. Though the number of students was half of the expected, it didn’t affect the enthusiasm of the camp members’ .We could reach the site by about 11.30am, late by an hour since we had to stop to buy vegetables.

             After reaching the site and unpacking the loads, we divided ourselves to four committees, namely, work, entertainment, program and food. The committee members were changed cyclically every day in the order WEPF. Anoop C was the day officer (DO) for the first day and I was in the program committee headed by Kevin. The other members in my committee were Anil, Anoop C, Kevin, Anisha, Gopan, Harish Babu and Ebin. While the food committee started preparing food for the camp members all other committee members went to the work site. Accommodation was arranged at a local lower primary school in Muthappanpuzha. 

             We started our work of broadening the village road and the villagers were very co-operative. They worked with us like one among us. Being the first day and not familiar with the work with tools like pickaxe we could complete only small portion of the road in the first day. But well begun is half done.

             After the first day’s work is over by about 2 pm all the working members of the camp had their bath in the near by river and had their lunch. Program committee started their preparations for the inauguration function of the camp. The vice president of Thiruvampadi Gramapanchayath Mr. Divakaran inaugurated the camp. After the inauguration function was over all the camp members had their supper.

             The most exciting event of the day being the icebreaking ceremony for the camp members conducted by the program committee. We selected well-known pairs like Romeo-Juliet, Anthony-Cleopatra, and Jack-Rose... Each name is written on a separate paper and all the camp members had to take one paper. Those who had got Romeo had to look for Juliet and those who had got Anthony had to look for Cleopatra and those and the like. Each one should know the details of his pair and they had to interchange their personalities. Each pair is called one by one for the program and is asked about their pair’s family details, funny incidents, their love, hobbies, nick names and the like. 

             After this program it was the turn of entertainment committee to entertain the whole camp. They presented a nice program with songs and skits. They began their program with a song by Pramod. The last event of the day being the report reading by each committee heads and the DO. Then Secretaries discussed about the progress of the day’s work and considered good suggestions from the rest of the camp. Each committee decided their head for the next day. All the camp members except those in the entertainment committee went to bed. The entertainment committee was preparing the newspaper to be read in the next morning.  

Second Day

             The DO for the second day was Shaiju. On the second day I was shifted to the food committee, which was rather easy compared to work of other committees. We woke up at 5 am. Ebin was the head of our committee. We provided black coffee at 6 am and after one hour of warm up session breakfast was provided. After the newspaper reading got over all the other committee members were ready for the days work. They left the school for the days work and we remained in the school preparing food for the camp.

             Being the first full day session of the camp some more necessary materials were brought from Anakkampoyil by Kevin and Anoop while Ebin went to buy lemon to give lemon juice to the tired working members. At 10 am limejuice was provided and we were busy with preparations for lunch. The working members of the camp were back by 1 pm and after having bath in the river we gave them a nice lunch by 2 pm. After taking rest they went to visit the near by forest, while we were preparing supper for the camp.

             The most disappointing incident of the day being the injury to Reji. He went back to the college. Icebreaking session was conducted for the newcomers of the camp. In the evening the entertainment committee for the day presented their program after supper. The event that we all still remember was presented on this day, it was by Ayyappadas. Each committee heads read out the report of the work done by their respective committees on the day. After the report of the DO each committees decided their heads for the next day. I was the head of work committee and Sivaram was the DO for the next day.    

Third Day

            I was the head of the work committee. The DO for the day was Sivaram. Though the portion of the road in which we worked was rock laden we worked hard. We felt satisfaction of contributing to the society in which we live and have some duties to be delivered. The participation of the villagers in the work really encouraged us. At about 1 pm we stopped the days work. The main duty of the work committee head was to count the number of tools taken for the days work and make sure all the tools had been replaced in it’s position. After having bath in the river we had our lunch. We took rest for some time.

          We started giving cultural program for villagers from third day. Ayyappadas was the anchor for the program. This event too was begun with a song from Pramod. We presented some comedy skits for them and small children entertained us with their singing skills. As usual, after the entertainment program and report reading we went to bed. The highlight of the day’s entertainment program was a classical song by Sivaram.

Fourth Day

            Pramod was the DO for day 4 and Ebin lead our entertainment committee. In the morning the course of action was the same as usual with the difference of taking oath before going to work. Under the leadership of Pramod the work showed real progress. After the days work bath and lunch food and entertainment committees had to remain in the school while rest of the camp visited the near by colony. The lunch was special since we had it with the natives. It was really a good experience for the camp members and also the villagers. Senior members told us that it was first time that the camp members had given lunch to the villagers. It helped us to make the relationship with them stronger.  

             We presented cultural program for the villagers and the most exciting event of the show being the flute reading by our teacher Mr. Sajith. Another one was the Hindi song by Ms. Divyasree. After that program our committee presented entertainment program of the day. As usual after report reading other camp members went to bed while we were busy with preparations for the next days newspaper. 

Fifth Day

            I was the DO for the day’s work. As it was the duty of the DO, I had to wake up by 5 am and make sure that Kunjiramettan (our cook) had waken up and stared the preparations for our break fast and also I had to call the food committee head Sivaram by 5.30 am. It was the duty of the DO to make sure that all the days’ programs are on time. I had to make sure the black tea, break fast, lunch.... to be given in time and lead the whole camp on that day.  After break fast and newspaper reading I read out the pledge aloud and the rest of the camp took pledge with me.  

             The pace of the work was slow and the enthusiasm seemed to have lost. But the days after that showed that was wrong. The important event of the day was a talk by Mr. Joseph, ex professor of Devagiri college Calicut. It was an interesting talk on Psychic Disorders. He stressed the importance of spreading awareness in society about this disorder. He explained to us different classifications of the same. Also he narrated his experiences as a social worker.  

             The arrival of Mr. Sunil, our mathematics teacher, gave us a new spirit. The very moment he reached the camp he became friendly to us. He is a good poet and his comments about the place that we were camped and it’s beauty and also about the nature was really deep. But the entertainment committee used his comments sarcastically and made us all laugh. Entertainment committee for the day really made use of the talk and they presented to us a sarcastic skit on the effect of the talk on the camp members. Many of the camp members doubt that they have some of the symptoms of this disorder and Mr. Aneesh acted really well as the patients.

            Rest of the day’s program was as usual .All the committees had completed a cycle and started the second cycle by the fifth day.

Sixth Day

            The DO for the sixth day was Jim Raphael. It was my second turn in food committee. We woke up early and gave black tea and break fast to the rest of the camp and made them ready for the days work in due time. We provided limejuice for the tired camp members at 10 am. After the day’s work was over they had their lunch. The main attraction of the day’s program was the film show for the villagers. The film showed was an award film of Mohanlal named ‘Vasthuhara’. It was about refugees in Bengal. It was a typical art film.  

            The rest of the day’s programs were as usual. The most colorful event of the cultural program was the dance by Ms. Anisha and Ms.Divyasree. Two girls of the village danced to a popular Tamil song. They really danced well, even without rehearsal, the steps were on the stage but apt. At first the small children were reluctant to sing but we coaxed them to sing and we sung with them.

Seventh Day

            It was now Ebin’s turn to be the DO for the day. Since we had a trekking to ‘Olichuchattam ‘ waterfalls we had to stop the day’s work by 11.30am. Being the last day of work everybody worked more enthusiastically and we could complete a good portion of work by the day. Even the small children of the village worked enthusiastically with us. After the completion of the work the villagers provided lunch for the whole camp. They gave us Beef and Tapioca curry.

              After the grand lunch we started our journey to the ‘Olichuchattam’ waterfalls. It was about 4 km. Away from the campsite. It took about an hour of journey to the destination. All the members were tired of the journey. The waterfalls were quite long and scenic. The waterfalls formed a pool in its lower end and we had bath in the pool. We took nice photos with the beauty of the wild forming a scenic background. We ate the light food that we packed from the school where we stayed and carried along with us. We started our journey back at about 5pm. The return journey was thrilling, because we formed two groups and played ‘Anthakshari’.

             The news of campus placement to some members of our camp made us all very happy. Even on the last ‘working day’ (On the last day we didn’t have work, we conducted a medical camp for the villagers) some new members were there and icebreaking was done for them. Being the last night in the camp we had made a grand campfire and it lasted till late night. The main program was folksongs by Haridas, our teacher Mr. Unnikrishnan, and villagers. The enthusiastic participation of the villagers made the campfire a grand success. 

            After the campfire got over we, the first time members got a chance to speak about the experiences of the camp. I talked about my chance of meeting the seniors. It was a very good occasion for me to remove the mist that surrounded the seniors. Before the camp I knew very less number of seniors but this camp gave me a chance to meet them and know them well. They were really good and supportive. Ebin and Kevin promised our seniors that we’ll make the next years camp a grand success. After the program we went to bed.

Eighth Day

            The DO for the eighth day was Reji and the main event of the day was the medical camp conducted for the villagers. We provided free medicine to the needed patients. About 150 villagers participated in this program to make this a grand success. After the medical camp we gave lunch to the villagers who worked with us and the doctors who co-operated with us in the program. We packed our belongings and loaded the bus with it. We started our journey back to the college by about 5pm. In the return journey we sang songs. In the way back we visited Arippara waterfalls. We were back in the college by about 7pm. After having bath and supper we went to bed with happiness and satisfaction of serving the society in a way we can.