Education, Communication and Development Trust (EDUCATR)

Main activities are:

• Dalit Women Empowerment Program: Training is provided to Dalit women of SHGs on bamboo basket weaving, mat weaving and hill broom making with the aim of making it a source of income for these women. Seed capital is also provided to them to run business for income generation activities.
• Promotion of Self-Help Groups (SHGs): EDUCATR promotes women’s SHGs in Madurai through their project team and links these SHGs with banks and periodically monitors their savings and credit activities.
• Book promotional activities: A grand book fair was organized by EDUCATR, sponsored by the National Book Trust, India, Ministry of human Resources Development, on 1st March 2015 at Gandhi Museum, Madurai.
• Environmental Conservation Program: Awareness camps on climate change mitigation measures are conducted and women are trained in nursery raising technique. Tree saplings for Sapato, Mango, Guava, Nelli and Neem are provided to small and marginal farmers who are unable to purchase the same from market.
• Disabled Support Program: Campaigns for the disabled are organised where information is provided on various government schemes, supports and self-employment.
• Legal Aid and Family Counselling Centre: The organisation’s legal aid centre addresses cases related to dowry, separation and land rights that are registered with it.
• Construction of new school building: EDUCATR has been running a school, Chakkaravarthy Vidyalaya Nursery and Primary School, in a rented building for the past 15 years where education is provided up to class V. They charge no fees, provide free text books, stationery and uniforms to needy children. Now, with the help of generous donors, the organization is constructing its own school building.

Network partners include Global India Fund, USA, Planet Action, Germany and Credibility Alliance, Mumbai.