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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We are fortunate enough to have two Belgium OT (Occupational Therapist) students completing 3 month internships at SCAD working with differently-abled students at the residential school and in the community. SCAD have built up an invaluable relationship with the KHBO University in Brugge, Belgium and have OT students come every year to SCAD. This ensures that there is sustainability in the OT support given to our staff.  The current two Belgium OT students, Lise & Phaedra, will provide support and training to the CBR (Community Based Rehabilitation) staff on current practice and possible areas...

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Murray & Janet Frankland, founders of Salt of the Earth, visit the ‘model village’ Sevalkulam, in the Ottapidaram block to view the new fish culture initiative at the village ooranie (rainwater harvest tank). SCAD have been working with this village for around 20 years and have successfully established: Women’s Self Help Groups, supplementary education, energy management, sports youth groups, vetinary camps, income generating initiatives, health education, micro insurance, nutritional demonstrations, tree plantation, organic kitchen gardens, bio-char trial plots - as a result village...

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In Tamil Nadu there is a big problem with women being anemic and children being malnourished. Also the price of food in the area is increasing beyond the means of most people. We have a solution to this problem! We have been providing women with affordable seeds and soil enriching bio-char so that they can start to grow their own vegetables. Watch this video about our work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8F7_ix_iAQ&context=C3c6fc54ADOEgsToPDskJKbNoTLg0YMm40lO27Gy60

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Get involved with SCAD in 2012 - it’s now even easier Tamil Nadu charity Social Change and Development (SCAD) is strengthening its links with overseas supporters this year with the launch of three new initiatives as part of its plans for 2012. It now means it will be easier for you to learn more, see more and do more with SCAD than you’ve ever been able to do before. Whether your want to travel to Tamil Nadu to work with SCAD, volunteer with SCAD, or simply learn more about its work wherever you are, the door is wide open. SCAD’s work is about community empowerment. It works with...

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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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SCAD have been working with Women Self Help Groups for over 25 years; they are the backbone of our organisation. Initially the men in the villages were against their wives leaving the house for training and used to argue with them. Now they see the benefit the groups have bought to their lives and villages and they ask their wives to get involved with the groups. Women Self Help Groups are generally made up of between 10-20 women who come together to collect small savings and share their problems once a week. With the money they collect they can open a bank account collectively and also they...

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The Tirunelveli District Level Sports Day for mentally disabled children conducted by the District Sports Authority of Tirunelveli was held this year on the 19th November, 2011, at the Anna Stadium, Palayamkottai. 243 Mentally challenged children from 17 special schools in the District participated in the sports day with great enthusiasm. Five children per school were permitted to participate in the sports events and three boys and two girls representing SCAD Anbu Illam, Chereanmahadevi, were taken to the Anna Stadium, to participate in different events SCAD has encouraged and motivated the mentally...

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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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Water is essential for life and every human being must to be able to access clean drinking water. Our vision in SCAD is to make this possible across Tamil Nadu. Trees are essential for water as they hold water in the ground, increasing the ground water storage and bringing more water to wells. They also stop the water from running off the surface of the soil and causing flash flooding and erosion, which is increasingly common in this location when the monsoons do fall. Cletus Babu, the founder of SCAD Charity, says that with all the planting trees that SCAD has done the area now “gets the highest...

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