IIT 2008 Global Alumni Conference

Tour of Rural Sites

One day Rural Learning Journeys on Monday December 22, 2008 (the day after the Conference)

Purpose of the tour

Take interested alumni to visit rural sites around Chennai. We will see actual villages, meet with villagers, meet SHG women's group, and look at watershed projects, rural schools.

Tour charges

Rs 1000 for the tour. This will cover bus charges, mid-day lunch, water and drop at the same 2 places. At the time of registration, you must sign-up for this tour and arrange to pay the Rs 1000 fees (or about $ 25) along with other fees.

Choice of 5 tours

We are offering a choice of 5 tours. They will offer you an opportunity to learn firsthand what is transforming some of the villages. In some of the tours, we are hoping to actually make you participate in some activity. For instance, in the Kuthambakkam visit, we are planning to make you assemble a few street light lamps using 18W CFL lamps. In another visit to Ulundhai farm, we are hoping to engage you in some agricultural activity.

At the time of Registration, please indicate your First and Second choice for the tours. We will assign your choice of tours using the Date of Registration as the basis.

Kuthambakkam Village

The tours are: http://sites.google.com/site/paniitruraltrackjourney/

Tour 1:

Kuthambakkam Village

Village of Kuthambakkam in Thiruvallur District with a stop in Saint Gobain factory and headquarters.

Pick up: 7:30 AM

Tour 2:

Natham Village

Village of Natham in Thiruvallur district where a group of IITM students are working for over a year.

Pick up: 7:30 AM

Tour 3:

Pullayarkuppam Village

Village Knowledge Center in Pullayarkuppam village near Pondicherry.

Pick up: 7:00 AM

Tour 4:

Auroville

The community of Auroville in Pondicherry.

Pick up: 7:00 AM

Tour 5:

Padapai Farm

Ulundhai farms in Kanchipuram District where an IITM alumni is bringing precision farming to India with help from a faculty in Univ of California at Davis.

Pick up: 7:00 AM

You can read more details about these 5 tours at:

http://sites.google.com/site/paniitruraltrackjourney/

Some tour notes
•	All tours shall be conducted tours on comfortable chartered buses with a guide.
•	We recommend that you bring a hat to wear and some drinking water. Do not forget your digital cameras.
•	The tours are limited to 25 persons per tour and shall be assigned on a first come first served basis.
•	Wear comfortable clothing. There may be some hands-on work opportunities in some of the tours.
•	The buses may be available for travel to the airport or the railway station after the completion of tours.
•	Meals provided shall be vegetarian meals of cuisine typical to the region.
•	If you are from outside of Chennai and need to book return train and airline reservations, please make those return journeys after 8 PM on Monday Dec 22. All the tours will attempt to return you back to the same pick up point by 5 PM to 6PM. But we will not be able to guarantee that.