Indian social activist Kulandei
Francis, age sixty six will be felicitated
with the Magsaysay Award. In the year
1979, Francis begun with his
organisation, Integrated Village
Development Project (IVDP) in
Krishnagiri, wherein he initially
started with small projects, amongst
his achievements, he has conducted
night schools in the light of gas lamps,
set up first aid centres. Then, with the
help of development organizations,
he undertook a micro-watershed
programme that, over twenty-two
years, built three thirty one mostly
small check dams benefitting
cultivators and their families in sixty
villages. His organisation, the
Integrated Village Development
Project also provides training to rural
students a in enhancing their skills
namely training in rural sanitation,
accountancy, management, giving
educational assistance for students in
high schools, scholarships and also
computer skills. The visionary Mr. Francis was also successful in
pursuing the holistic economic
empowerment of thousands of
women and their families.
The Board of Trustees of the
Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
(RMAF) announced the recipients of
this year, 2012 Asia’s premier prize,
the Ramon Magsaysay Award on 25
July 2012. The six individuals chosen
from around the globe are from
countries, Bangladesh, Cambodia,
India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and
Taiwan. The other people chosen for
the prizes, announced by the Ramon
Magsaysay Award Foundation
(RMAF) in Manila, are Ms Chen Shu-
Chu from Taiwan, Mr Romulo Davide
from the Phillipines, Ms Syeda Rizwana
Hasan of Bangladesh, Mr Yang Saing
Koma of Cambodia and Mr Ambrosius
Ruwindrijarto from Indonesia.
Kulandai Francis who has been
awarded with the Magsaysay says,
working with the objective of
eradicating poverty and empowering
more than one lakh rural women for
thirty five long years has got him the
award.