On Friday the 21st of September 80 SCAD supporters gathered at The Big Chill House in Kings Cross for a party in aid of raising funds for the charity's ongoing programmes. It was a brilliant night with music, dancing and games galore. The raffle prizes included dinner for two at Cinnamon Kitchen, an hour with a personal trainer, a set of Harper Collins books and an organic hamper. All in all we raised £1,252 for SCAD over the evening and we all had a brilliant time. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who came along and all the people who lent a hand for a good cause. It couldn't...

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Would you like to make a real difference to the lives of poor rural families in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu? We would like to start working with five new villages in Tamil Nadu. At SCAD in partnership with our UK charity Salt of the Earth we run a sponsor a village scheme. This is a pioneering opportunity for communities in the UK and Europe to support community development in villages in Southern India. With your help we can change people's lives. This core funding pays for a village volunteer and part of the salary of a professional field worker. Between them they provide...

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Join Trisha Roberts for a fascinating insight into India - there is no better way to get to know a new place than to share food with local people.  During this colourful two week tour you will visit markets, shop for ingredients, learn to cook southern India food, visit villages, schools and temples and much, much more! During this tour you will gain firsthand insight into how our projects make a real difference to women like Karuppi.  Along with shopping for ingredients and learning to cook 3 or 4 dishes per day, you will also visit some of SCAD's projects including income-generating...

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Cataract is an age-related condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded, blurring vision. Cataracts can lead to blindness, however the process is entirely reversible. If caught early and simply operated on full sight can be recovered. Cataracts are a massive problem for people in India. It is estimated that for India alone 3.8 million people become blind from cataract each year. The sight loss of an adult can damage the household economy, whether a breadwinner becomes another mouth to feed or a grandmother is no longer able to provide primary care for the children. SCAD can perform...

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" Orphan elders" are older people who have outlived all their family and are neglected by their kith and kin, therefore they don't have any caregivers. They are a largely ignored population whose numbers are expected to burgeon with the medical explosion that has paved way for a longer life and smaller families. Neglect is the most common form of abuse towards orphan elders at 48.7 % followed by emotional, financial and physical abuse. SCAD helps give the orphan elders a life of dignity through programmes including a monthly old age pension, medical assistance, elders’ self help groups and annual...

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We've built up a formula for successful community empowerment over the past 25 years which we wish to share with others. If you’re looking to expand your experience and international horizons, then our one month and three month tailored work placements are for you. Spend time: - working with children with disabilities - assisting in our veterinary care camps - caring for our abandoned and destitute elderly in the community - teaching the next generation - working a range of energy and conservation projects You can now download and read our pre-departure pack which...

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Last week Save the Children released a report entitled 'A Life Free From Hunger' and in it they declare that 48% of children in India are stunted in their growth due to malnutrition. Although this is an aggregated number and doesn't account for regional differences in such a large and diverse country - with over 28 different states - it also reveals the dire condition many people in India are still living in. India is now the World's 10th largest economy and has an obligation to look after their most vulnerable and destitute people. Malnutrition is not only a problem for physical growth it also...

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My name is Kate Hartley, I am 24 years old and I live in the South East of England. At the age of 18 I went travelling on my gap year to India, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. Following this I completed my Music degree at Southampton University in 2009. Whilst continuing with my performing and teaching the harp I started a new job for a Community Interest Company which made films promoting environmental and sustainable education to Primary Schools. In 2010 I embarked on a new more challenging role as the PA and Office Manager for the internationally celebrated artist Alexander...

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At SCAD we are interested in empowerment that takes place when people challenge existing norms and culture to improve their well being and create their own development. Our SCAD Women's Self Help Groups (WSHGs) have challenged social norms not once but twice! In the first instance women transformed the culture of being forced to stay in their homes. Initially when the women gathered together for meetings they had difficulty coming out of their homes because it was not traditional. In the beginning women were scorned and sometimes threatened. With a lot of support from SCAD and internal strength...

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Trees can help people in many different ways; they help facilitate water, they provide shelter and warmth, food and nutrition and can also provide a valuable income. At SCAD we are planting trees for all of these things. SCAD help farmers with their irrigation systems, especially helping them to perform drip irrigation, which enables the trees to grow in this harsh, almost desert, climate. Good trees can also provide an income for their timber as long as there is a way of making sure that they can be re planted. The people of Tamil Nadu have been experiencing the effects of climate change for many...

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