Education, Communication and Development Trust

About us

Brief Description of the Organization:
Education, Communication and Development Trust (EDUCATR) was established by a group of pro – active social service people in the year 1997. It was registered under Indian Trust act in the year 1997. We also got FCRA and 12 AA of the Income Tax Act 1961. Social-minded group of people was promoted with a small beginning, primarily for eradication of illiteracy from amongst the rural poor. Over the years extended geographically to 275 villages in the blocks of Usilampatti, Chellampatti and Sedapatti and Elumalai Town panchayat in Madurai District, Tamilnadu, India. We are working for poor women and children, unskilled drop out youth, dalits, person with disabilities, HIV affected persons, child labourers and other backward communities development and empowerment. Our Board of Trustees meets twice in a year, at that time; policy matter was discussed and decided. EDUCATR Trust is dedicated to the betterment of children and their families.

Vision:
EDUCATR envisages a gender just society in which women, children and marginalized have rights over their own lives.

Mission:
EDUCATR envisages a gender just society in which women, children, marginalized and indigenous have rights over their own lives and sensitizing, marginalized through education and creating socio economic development.

Main Goals of our organization
“To improve the peoples living condition especially the women, children, youths and disabled from the poor and vulnerable families by strengthening the community based people capacity on functional self-help structures towards a long term sustainable development of the communities”.

Objectives:
• To provide and facilitate for education of children from the disadvantaged communities.
• To raise and improve the health status of the tribal and other communities and disabled persons in order to improve their quality of life providing curative and preventive health services.
• To establish vocational training centers for the disabled persons to generate income and build the confidence and also facilitate for the treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
• To work and develop and need based assistance for the economic rehabilitation of the physically handicapped and mentally retarded persons.
• To establish, promote, run and maintain centers for creation of awareness relating to HIV diseases and also for identification and treatment of HIV diseases and also undertake rehabilitation programmed for such persons who are affected by HIV diseases also to establish centers for research activities for earlier and complete curing of the diseases.
• To work for the empowerment of women and other weaker sections.
• To take up programmers for the Mother and Childcare.
• To improve the economic, social and cultural status of the rural communities and enhance their skills and self-management capacity.
• To take up programme for the promotion of sustainable livelihood.
• To promote entrepreneurship and vocational skills for rural school dropouts, youths.
• To create conditions to bring about a just, participatory and sustainable society.
• To promote management and control of natural resources.

Management Set-Up:
EDUCATR has 3 tier administrative and decision – making folders. At village level women Self Help Groups (all women), Primary decision making body analyze the problems, prioritizing needs and send the felt needs with clear cut planning with implementation and monitoring process to the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will give right direction to make the project success. Along with primary decision – making body’s resolution and its recommendations in a right perspective to the executive committee of EDUCATR which is final decision approval body.

Managing Trustee Members:
Sl. Name of the Member(s) Occupation Designation
01. Mr. R.Velmurugan, Social Worker Managing Trustee
02. Mrs. B. Amuthapriya, Social Worker Financial Trustee
03. Mr. A. Xavier, Business Trustee
04. Mrs. S. Latha, Social worker Member Trustee
05. Mrs. P. Maheswari Private staff Member Trustee

Roles of Staff, Advisors, Volunteers and members:
EDUCATR has promoted 525 women self help groups, 50 men’s group and 15 Disabled group as community organization in its constituency. All 380 groups selected likeminded volunteers to work for EDUCATR is project in their villages out of 14 full time staff 10 are from local community where work and all 12 part time are from local community working in their respective villages out of 14 full time 10 are women, all 12 part time are women. Apart from the volunteers from the villages nearby Pasumpon muthuramalingam college faculty of Rural Development Science students 5 are working.

Activities and services are:

i) Women Empowerment:
We have been formed 500 women’s self help groups in Usilampatti, Chellampatti and Sedapatti block villages. Provided Training to SHG Animators and Representatives, Grading of the SHGs, Thrift and credit programmes, Micro credit to SHGs for income generation activity. The programme was supported with the Tamilnadu Corporation for development of women Ltd.

ii) Child Development:
• Running Nursery & Primary School recognized by Government of Tamilnadu.
• Campaign against female infanticide & feticide.
• Campaign against child labour, enrolled the dropout children in regular school.

iii) Vocational skill training & Rural Entrepreneurship Development programme:
We have conducted various REDP, Vocational skill training programme on Modern dress making and embroidery, Jute bag making and diversified products, Electrician course, Domestic appliances, unskilled dropout youth, Dalit and poor women in the target area. The programme was supported by Australian High Commission, NABARD, NYK, JSS and Tamilnadu polytechnic.

iv) Environmental Awareness Programme:
We have been conducted National Environmental Awareness campaign on solid waste management, Biodiversity conservation. The programme was sponsored by Ministry of Environment & Forest. We have organized popularization of Science Lecture programme on Environmental and Sanitation. The programme was sponsored by Tamilnadu state council for science and Technology and Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of science and technology.

v) Health programme:
• ¬Prevention of Parents to child transmission of HIV/AIDS
• Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Management Project
• Reproductive Child Health Programme

vi) Disabled Welfare programme:
• Self Help Group formation for person with disabled
• Vocational Skill training for disabled
• Disabled empowerment programme through IGP activity

vii) Legal Awareness Programme:
• Family Counseling Centre
• Legal Awareness Programme for rural women
• Human rights Education for college students

Current Funding Partners:

Right Sharing of World Resources, USA
UNWG, Austria
Tamilnadu Women Development Corporation Ltd, Chennai
Tamilnadu Social Welfare Board, Chennail
Abilis Foundation, Finland
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, New Delhi.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries, New Delhi.
NABARD, Chennai.
Tamilnadu Corporation for Development of Women. Ltd., Chennai.
Peace Trust, Dindigul
Waterloo Foundation, UK
Women of the ELCA,USA
Brotherhood of Hope, France
Organization budget: (2011 – 2012) Rs. 9,56,942/-

Our Network Partners
• Open Architecture Network, USA
• Global India Fund, USA
• Global Giving, USA
• Charity Factors, UK
• Water Integrity Network, Germany
• Planet Action, Germany
• Global Hand, Hong Kong
• 1% Club, Netherland
• India water partnership (IWP), New Delhi
• Icharity, New Delh
• Credibility Alliance, Mumbai
• GuideStar India, Mumbai
• Samhita, Mumbai
• Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association (TNVHA), Chennai