The Educational Development Service (INDIA) of the Inter - Church Service Association, Chennai, as part of its "Jivana Jyoti" (Light of Life) training programme for the physically disabled, has been conducting a computer center for several years, with great success.

It was the privilege of the Department of Applied Science of the American College, Madurai to provide technical assistance and advice to help in setting up this center and the course which is conducted there. For more than twenty five years the same Department has managed the computing facilities at the American College. In July 1990, when a new computing center was completed, the College's dream was to extend the type of service given by EDSI in Chennai, and to start a "Jivana Jyoti"in Madurai. This dream was brought to reality by the generous and spontaneous response of the EDSI to our request.

The Department of Applied Science of the American College took on the starting of this training course as a great challenge. The first class was started in October 1990, with just six students, as it was felt that a small beginning would help to give a firm direction to future and greater efforts. In 1991 the strength grew more than twice, 16 students both girls and boys , all between the ages of 17 and 25, with a high school diploma. It was decided that besides this diploma, a student should have some understanding of Mathematics and English.

Many of these young people do not have sufficient funds in their families to pay the moderate charges that are required for the course. EDSI has been generously contributing to the costs of running the programme, which has many needs that could not yet be met by local funding. We hope that there will be local funding ability as time goes on, both from concerned neighbours and from DAS.

The encouragement of the Rev. Moses Manohar Director of ICSA, Chennai and of Dr. T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, Principal of The American College, Dr. S. Paul Mary Deborrah, Director Jivana Jyoti in Madurai has been of great help, both emotionally and in actually. None of them has ever stinted in giving help and advice in many practical ways.

The program is directed at developing skills. It included Word, use and operation of MS-EXCEL, fundamental of Accounting, Some C programming, Familiarity with Databases as well as touch typing. The aim is not to produce programmers but rather to train the student in skills, to make them employable in businesses and offices in this part of country.

In 1992 a new hostel was in constructed to give living space for 12 boys and 12 girls. all to be students in Jivana Jyoti. The hostel is adjacent to the classroom and computing center, and is fully "Accessible". This will permit to serve students from rural areas, and students with severe disabilities. What a joy and an opportunity it will be to form a close community with resident students. We are thankful to the donors who helped us to realise this facility.

 The Staff and Students work in close harmony, and aims at the full development & building up of self confidence. The enthusiasm and eagerness of participants to be a part of the programme is heartening. It shows that this is a real need, and that this sort of effort is worth doing. We have full confidence that the Jivana Jyoti programme will continue to grow in providing a greater and greater assistance to students who need it.