Fr. Jose Alex award for excellence in Social Work for the year 2009 has been given to Fr. Jose Koolipurackal CMI, the Executive Director of Samagra Vikas Social Service Society, a leading voluntary organisation of CMI congregation housed at Vikas Bhavan Alleppey. The award consists of Rs.50001/- a plaque and a citation. Fr. Jose Koolipurackal after his ordination took his Master’s Degree in Social Work from the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences Kalamassery.
Fr. Jose Koolipurackal CMI executed different rural development projects and programmes with the financial assistance of European commission, Karl Kuebel foundation, Govt. of India and Govt. of Kerala. The target community for his activities consisted of 25000 families from among agricultural labourers, fishermen, dalit communities, small and marginal farmers who belong to low socio-economic status. Kuttanad Integrated Rural Development Project, Kuttanad Rehabilitation Project, Dalit Development Programme Mannanam, Tsunami Rehabilitation Project, Arattupuzha and Tsunami Special Package Housing Programme are the major rural development projects undertaken by him. To provide employment to the unemployed youth of the village community he had undertaken and successfully implemented different employment and income generation projects - like Stabilizer Assembling Units, UPS Assembling Units and BPO Projects. He organised 750 self helps and federations for the successful implementation of rural development projects. Recently the center and state Govt. sanctioned a major project to Samagra Vikas for the construction of 361 new houses for the victims of Tsunami at Arattupuzha, Alleppey.
Fr. Jose is working as executive director since 1987. He introduced rural development projects and programmes in a sustainable manner. A total number of 250 people are working fulltime in different projects.
Important interventions executed were
- Promoted village leadership by imparting continuous proper training. These training programs were given to 500 people in 12 villages of Kuttanad
- Organised and set-up 750 Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Kerala and Tamil Nadu
- Registered Mahila Samajam in each village of the project area
- A village executive committee was formed to plan, implement and evaluate the project programs.
- Mobile Dispensary (boat clinic) in 6 interior villages of Kuttanad and a total number of 180000 patients had been treated through this clinic.
- Constructed 800 new houses.
- Repaired /strengthened 1500 old houses.
- Constructed 3000 hygienic latrines.
- Vocational training programs for the youth - electrification, plumbing, wiring, welding and motor-winding for 600 youth in collaboration with Carmel Polytechnic, Punnapra
- Employment generation programs for 2000 unemployed girls in collaboration with V-Guard Industries, Kochi.
- Supplied 100 milch-cows
- Child welfare programs - holiday camps, tuition classes, seminars and study-tours.
- Started two Crèches for the children of the agricultural labourers and organized Balavikas (Organisation of the children)
- Scholarships and study materials were supplied to 3000 school children.
