Women's Organisation in Rural Development (WORD)

Their programmes include:

• Blooming Buds: This project addresses the exploitation and abuse issues of children, especially in brick kiln, poultry, and power loom industries. WORD currently runs a short stay residential home for children who have limited access to education. It also provides care and protection to exploited children or children in exploitative situations (eg. child marriage, child labourer). WORD follows cases referred to them by the Child Welfare Committee, Childline and Anti-Human Trafficking Police Wing of Namakkal.
• Microscale CDM Biogas: WORD is one of the partners of the SCINDeA biogas coalition to implement a micro-scale domestic biogas Clean Development Mechanism project (CDM) in Namakkal district under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the support of Fair Climate Network. It aims at reducing fuel wood and kerosene usage.
• SCINDeA Network Activities: The South Central India Network for Development Alternatives (SCINDeA) network covers (i) Empowerment of community through people’s participation and (ii) Participatory community based sanitation programme.
• Women Empowerment: With the support of Tamil Nadu Women Corporation for Women Development Limited, the rural women, including the most backward castes like Dalits, are organized into Self Help Groups and given credit assistance. These groups provide training in leadership, entrepreneurial development, various income generation activities, and marketing strategies.
• Special School for Child Labourers: WORD runs special schools for child labourers under the National Child Labour Elimination Programme, with financial assistance from the Government. These schools are run in areas where textile and power loom industries are concentrated. Educational and extra-curricular activities are conducted for five hours every work-day, and the children are provided with lunch.
• Others: WORD conducts awareness campaigns on Environment (combating desertification, land degradation, and droughts), runs crèches for children of working and ailing mothers, and a Shelter Home for the aged.