Partners:

• Church of South India - Anglican Diocese of Madras (Board for Socio-Economic Concerns), Kalpakkam, Kalapaet, Pulicat Island, India
• All India Association for Micro Enterprise Development (AIAMED)

Program Type and Services:

• “Savings Led”

Social service programs in addition to loan funds to Self-Help Groups (SHGs), groups of individuals who save and give loans primarily out of their own deposits.

Training and Resource Examples:

• Business training
• Hostels with rural child education programs
• “Building a Bridge of Love” child sponsorship program
• Hospitals and medical outreach centers
• Women’s Bible studies, training and fellowship
• Education via schools and computer training

The Community

Five Talents began funding this program in early 2005 in response to the devastation caused the tsunami of 2004 to the east cost of India. The unprecedented loss of human life and destruction primarily impacted the poor in rural areas like South India where survival revolves around subsistence industries such as fishing.

The Program

The objective of the program is to build on the diocese's existing Self-Help Groups (SHG) by providing assistance to people affected by the tsunami. After staff training and planning in five Hindu coastal fishing hamlets near Kalpakkam, in south Chennai, the target area has been expanded to include a group of villages near Kalapet, and in predominately Christian villages on the Pulicat barrier island, north of Chennai. Expansion of the project to serve Dalit (lowest caste) people near the sea is also proposed.

Conscious of its social responsibility, the Church of South India has organized 50 rural development projects all over India, 50 training centers for young people, and 500 residential hostels for a total of 35,000 children. The Board for Socio-Economic Concerns is a legally registered, voluntary, development-oriented, not-for-profit church-based organization in relentless pursuit of finding lasting solutions to improve the quality of life for the poor, the marginalized, vulnerable, and weaker sections of society.

The Need

With funding from Five Talents, the Anglican Diocese of Madras established Self-Help Groups to provide loans to villagers to begin new businesses. Business training administered by the Diocese through the groups provides the skills and the support to be innovative about new enterprises. Please join us in praying for these needs.

2011 Funding Request:

• $117,000

Help us empower the citizens of India with the capacity to improve their lives by supporting this Five Talents International program. You will be fighting poverty, creating jobs and transforming lives!

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