Jonathan Callaghan Memorial Centre and Family Life Institute
About the Centre and Family Life Institute
The Jonathan Callaghan Memorial Centre for Integrated Rural Development Studies seeks through its programmes to initiate, accelerate and perpetuate the process of development in selected areas in the rural neighbourhood with the active involvement of those communities. Assistance in areas such as, public health, agriculture, rural industries, technology and animal husbandry are provided.
Madras Christian College, Family Life Institute (MCC FLI) is a unit of Madras Christian College located at Mappedu, Chengalpet District. Way back in the 1960’s through the Jonathan Callaghan Memorial Centre of MCC the students of MCC were involved in rural housing, planning roads and community wells in Mappedu and these initiatives were strengthened during the period of Dr. Chandran Devanesan, the then Principal of MCC, with the support of the Government. The MCC FLI started to function in 1971 providing maternal and child health services to rural women in and around Mappedu village in congruence with the mission of Madras Christian College, “service to humanity”. The MCC FLI was registered as a Clinic under the Tamilnadu Clinical Establishment Act in January 2021.
Vision & Mission
MCC FLI has the vision of Creating a healthy rural society through the quality and sustainable health and development services
Beneficiaries
Women, children and elderly of the weaker and vulnerable sections of the rural society.
Objectives
To provide holistic health services for rural women, children and elderly
To Raise the Socio-economic standard of women through Entrepreneurship Development Program & Income Generation Program
Awareness Generation & Capacity Building
Encourage Entrepreneurship Activities
Activities
Allopathic health services for women, children and elderly through MCC FLI Clinic
Skill Development for women through Certificate Courses in Tailoring
Medical Camps to address specific needs of the beneficiaries
Awareness Generation Programs on health, hygiene, women and child Issues and services
Support for Entrepreneurship Activities in the form of equipments or initial investments
Family Counselling
Training of Social Work Students & NSS Students
Network with supportive systems such as Government, Corporates NGO’s and Multi Speciality Hospitals
MCC FLI Clinic
Through a residential staff nurse, health services are provided 24 hours to the rural residents of Mappedu and the nearby rural communities. The doctor of MCC Campus Clinic renders consultation once a week at MCC FLI Clinic. Based on the health needs of the beneficiaries, health camps are conducted periodically in collaboration with other Hospitals, Corporates and Non Government Organisations. Around 490 patients benefited out of the services of the clinic in the financial year 2019-2020 and around 640 patients benefited in the year 2020-2021.
Skill Development Courses through MCC FLI Tailoring institute
A three months certificate course and nine months certificate course in tailoring are offered by the MCC FLI Tailoring Institute as a means of developing the economic standard of rural families and empowerment of rural women. Around 250 women benefitted through the certificate course in the last financial year 2019-2020 and 76 women benefited in the year 2020-2021. The trained women are successfully employed in the nearby companies and few have become entrepreneurs.
Family Counselling, Entrepreneurship support & Other Services
Family Counselling services are rendered with the support of MCC Student Counselling Center. The MCC Student Counsellor makes periodic visits to the MCC Family Life Institute. With the support of Staff Wives and Women Staff Association (SWAWSA) and Center for Women Studies (CWS) various entrepreneurial training programs and short term skill development programs are organised for women. Families interested in entrepreneurship are provided support in purchasing the tools or equipment in the initial stage. Many motivational programs and awareness programs on health, hygiene, issues of women and children and services are organised.
Networking & Collaborations
MCC FLI collaborates with various institutions in the journey of creating a healthy rural society. Need based medical camps are organised with the support of Rela Institute, Kancheepuram Health Society, Hindu Mission Hospital, Ramachandra Multi Speciality Hospital, Thiruvancherry Primary Health Centre and so on. in the recent past, under the Swachh Bharat Mission various activities were successfully organised through the NSS volunteers of MCC. Cleaning of lakes and ponds in the rural communities, awareness generation on health, sanitation and water, sanitation drive were the significant activities. The welfare measures in COVID 19 pandemic were undertaken with the support of Zoho Corporation. Currently with the support of the Socio-Behavioural Department of National Institute for Tuberculosis Research, Indian Council for Medical Research, health Interventions are undertaken, the domestic violence issues of women are addressed with the support of the One stop centre, Chengalpet, Ministry of Women and Children, Government of India.
Facilities
Facilities for conducting Residential Rural camps, Training programs and NSS camps are available. Students of Social Work discipline, from various colleges namely Loyola, Stella Maris, Sindhi, Bishop Heber College and Madras School of Social Work are placed for field work experience (online and offline) and students of NSS are given hands on experience in the field and the younger generation is sensitized towards the needs of rural communities and to work for an equitable society.
the nearby rural communities. The doctor of MCC Campus Clinic renders consultation once a week at MCC FLI Clinic. Based on the health needs of the beneficiaries, health camps are conducted periodically in collaboration with other Hospitals, Corporates and Non Government Organisations. Around 490 patients benefited out of the services of the clinic in the financial year 2019-2020 and around 640 patients benefited in the year 2020-2021.
rural women. Around 250 women benefitted through the certificate course in the last financial year 2019-2020 and 76 women benefited in the year 2020-2021. The trained women are successfully employed in the nearby companies and few have become entrepreneurs. 
