Gramodhaya Social Service Society

Some of their ongoing programmes:

• Women Development/Empowerment: Their programme Mahalir Thittam helps women from socially and economically backward families living in villages and slums in the Tuticorin and Tirunelveli Districts. Gramodhaya’s activities primarily include formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Promotion of savings and credit in every SHG, Entrepreneurship Development Training, and Income Generation Programmes. They interact with 1,476 SHGs: with 26,312 members.
• Children’s Development/Education: Free Tuition Centres are run in 4 slums in Tirunelveli for 134 children belonging to families of rag pickers and scavengers. They meet the annual education and health expenses of 70 children from the poorest families of HIV infected parents, widows, and rag pickers. A residential Children’s Home is being run for 25 girl children in very difficult situations, including those who are orphans.
• STI/HIV/AIDS Prevention: Reports indicate that 59% of new HIV infection is in the rural areas, which has led the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) launching Link Worker Scheme, a Rural HIV Prevention programme. Gramodhaya has been selected to implement this programme in Tirunelveli District. Various activities like village committee meetings, one-to-one and one-to-group education sessions, counselling and medical treatment provided to high risk groups like Female Sex Workers, Men Having Sex With Men, Transgenders, and to vulnerable groups like Truckers and the Youth. With increased awareness, incidence of HIV and STI infection is gradually reducing. 
• Multipurpose Training Hall: Gramodhaya also conducted Waste Management and Rag Pickers’ Development Programme, Actual Status of Education Survey (ASER), Capacity building and Livelihoods Trainings and meetings at the Gramodhaya Rural Community Resource cum Training Centre (GRCRC). A Multipurpose Training Hall was inaugurated at the GRCRC in March 2014. This was constructed with grant support from the Consulate of Japan.