DEEDS

Click here for Deed, the legal instrument

DEEDS (Development Education Society) is an Indian Non-Governmental Organisation established in 1989. It is a non-profit, non-political, non-sectarian organisation which operates in the Ponnai area of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. Its guiding commitment is to educate, and improve conditions for those who form the vulnerable sections of society.

Programmes are delivered by a partnership between DEEDS, the local community and government agencies.

Educational improvement
Programmes include...


 * Early childhood education
 * Pre-school education
 * Non-formal education
 * Formal education
 * Distant education
 * Technical and vocational education
 * Adult education
 * Collegiate education
 * Quality of life through health improvement

Community health education
Community health programmes include...
 * Environment and ecological promotion
 * Nutrition education cum services
 * Immunization
 * Reproductive and child health programme
 * Promotion of herbal garden and herbal medicine
 * HIV/AIDS prevention programme
 * Alcoholic and de-addiction services
 * Coordination with Government Primary Health Centres
 * Periodical medical check-ups and treatment with referral services
 * Training for grass root health workers

Poverty alleviation activities
This programme is mainly focused on utilizing the available local resources as well as enhancing skills for managing resources through a sustainable livelihood approach.


 * Agro-based livelihood activities
 * Animal husbandry programme
 * Micro enterprises
 * Credit units – people's financial institutions
 * Entrepreneurship training
 * Cooperative business undertaking
 * Promotion of self-help groups
 * Watershed management

Building the local organization
DEEDS aims to nurture and develop self-government principles among the deprived community, despite various barriers in the social system such as caste, multi-linguistic, multi-religious communities etc... Through democratisation and human rights, this can be promoted at the community level. Sensitisation and advocacy on various developmental areas are given focus. To build a strong local organization DEEDS promotes the following local bodies:


 * Women's associations (sanghas)
 * Farmers' association
 * Village Development Coordination Committee
 * Youth association
 * Children's club
 * Credit and cooperative units