Salem Social Service Society Sustainable Development Goal

About the Organization:

Salem Social Service Society (SSSS) is a non-profit, non-governmental and diocesan voluntary organization registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 and working for the development of the poor, suppressed and oppressed sections of the society. It has been rendering its valuable service in the areas of Animation, Development and Support services since its inception in 1968. It has been working to uplift the marginalized people irrespective of caste, creed and religious discrimination in Salem and Namakkal districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

From its inception in 1968, the organization has been successfully carrying out various activities such as, Relief and Rehabilitation, Prevention of Female Infanticide and Child Labour, Nutrition and Educational support to children, Youth Animation, Women Empowerment through formation of Self Help Groups, Micro Credit and Micro enterprises, Fight against Dowry and Gender Inequality, Health and Sanitation, Organic Agriculture, Environmental Protection, and other developmental and rights based programs for the poor and the down trodden.SSS has been implementing all the activities towards Sustainable Development Goals.

Vision:

Our vision is "To Proclaim Liberty to the captives" in Salem Diocese, India.

Mission: The mission

The mission of SSSS is the "Realization of "Social Justice and Peace" for the poor and the marginalized children, youth and women through the process of empowerment."

1. Aims And Objectives:

The aims and objectives of the society are based on the principles of love, peace and justice. The important objectives of the society are as follows:

• To champion the cause of the poor, marginalized, depressed and oppressed people irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, gender and ethnicity and ensure equality, justice through the process of animation, education and participation and enable them to live with dignity and self respect in the society.
• To liberate the poorest of the poor, especially, children, youth and women from the shackles of poverty, inequality and marginalization through the promotion of entrepreneurial skills and access to micro credit and social security measures for self-reliance.
• To educate and empower the illiterate, disadvantaged and marginalized women to have their fair deal in the society.
• To form women Self Help Groups and federate them into powerful Community Based Organizations capable of standing up for their own rights and realizing them through unified social action.
• To Protect Child Mortality and Improve Maternal Health by awareness generation, family and community a based interventions.
• To promote holistic health programs among people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, malnutrition, and other terminal illnesses.
• To protect the mother earth from environmental degradation and ecological blunders through awareness generation and concrete actions.
• To enhance the optimal learning capacities of impoverished children by the creation of and access to e-learning and other soft skill training necessary for their overall socio economic development.

History of Activities:

Sl.No.	Particulars of Activity	Period From-To
1	Charitable activities: Distribution of relief materials during natural and manmade calamities.	1968 -1980
2	Awareness Education: Health and sanitation, environmental education, community integration, Formation of Village Committees and Collective Development Programmes	1981 - 1990
3	Youth Programmes: Formation of youth clubs, Youth Animation, Vocational Training Programmes and leadership trainings.	1991 - 1995
4	Social Action: Campaign against Female Infanticides, Female Child Labour, Dowry harassments, Gender inequity, domestic violence, gender based violence, caste based violence and discriminations. Formation of Village vigilance committees.	1996 - 2000
5	Special Programmes for children: Attending to the specific needs of children in adverse circumstances and physically challenged. School enrolment drives, Female Infanticide and Feticide, Rehabilitation of children infected and affected by HIV / AIDS.	2001 -2005
6	Women Empowerment: Formation and strengthening of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Entrepreneurship development, Micro credit programs and micro enterprises and capacity building.	2001 -2005
7	Right Based Activities: Capacity building Trainings and Seminars on Human Rights, with particular emphasis on women and children, formation of Community Based Organizations and Federations for collective community actions.	2011- 2012
8	SDG Based Activities: Holistic health care programmes, Capacity building of women, youth empowerment programmes, WASH programmes, Educational programmes, Environmental programmes	2012 to present

CHILDREN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES:

1. 100% enrolment in schools in 175 villages
2. More than 12,000 Children have availed educational assistance from SSSS' sponsor ship program.
3. 5685 Youth had completed higher studies with our scholarship.
4. 20 Supplementary / Non Formal Educations centres were initiated in remote villages
5. 16 Computer Centres been established in rural schools to promote e-learning
6. 3000 young men and women have made right choice in education and employment
7. School Dropout rate has reduced to less than 10% in tribal and Dalit areas.
8. First generation of tribal communities is in the school in targeted tribal villages

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT:

1. 3870 youths were benefited through Vocational trainings on various trades
2. Started Coaching Centre in 2017 for competitive government exams. 35 Got trained and 3 got above first class.
3. 1600 youth farmers were trained in organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices
4. Regularly conducting Career guidance programme for 10th and 12th students.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT:

SSSS has implemented numerous intervention programs for women from its inception. The following list shows some of the major highlights.

1. Formed 1355 women Self Help Groups (SHG) in marginalized and vulnerable areas
2. Formed 9 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) with 18,000 women.
3. 15,000 women have been trained in micro enterprises.
4. Nearly 6750 women are self-employed in micro enterprises
5. More than 100 Women have occupied official positions in the local self governance (Panchayat Raj institution).
6. 3570 women have been given leadership skill development training.

Health - AIDS AWARENESS AND INTERVENTION:

Salem and Namakkal districts were the vulnerable districts in HIV/ AIDS infection in Tamil Nadu.SSSS has carried out many interventions to combat the disease.

1. SSSS had facilitated a district level network for the People Living with HIV/AIDS.
2. Health and Hygienic practices have been promoted both at the individual and community level.
3. Medical camps were organized through Village Health Clubs
4. HIV / AIDS awareness created in all of SSSS' target villages
5. District level Campaign and advocacy carried out to remove stigma and Discrimination
6. Regular care & support services for minimum 100 infected people per year

HEALTH - TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL PROGRAMME

1. Conducting 298 community meetings at village level and disseminated the Awareness messages to Village Development Committees, CBOs, Panchayat Raj Institutions and Self Help Groups.
2. Reached 36576 houses in hard to reach areas in TB Awareness Campaign
3. Appointed 10 volunteers covering 20 sub centres for sputum collection and transportation.
4. Collected 2637 samples and identified 128 TB infected persons and linked to government DOTS Programme
5. SSSS volunteers successfully have given DOTS treatment to 384 TB patients in 20 centres
6. Regularly conducted support group meetings and nutritional support given to MDR-TB patients

HOUSING:

1. Monitory support had been extended to more than 2500 families for the renovation of their dilapidated houses.
2. 263 Low cost houses were constructed in 18 parishes
3. 65 houses had constructed for the homeless Refugees at Nagiyampatti Camp.
4. More than 180 flood affected houses were renovated.

AGRICULTURE

1. Check dam was constructed at Pillur to support agricultural activities
2. Trained 4578 people on household farming
3. Nearly 1500 people were benefited through Free seed distribution
4. 124 wells were deepened to get good water
5. 26 New wells were digged for small farmers
6. Organic farming training had given to all SHG members having agriculture background.

ENVIRONMENT:

SSSS has been actively involved in generating awareness on Global Warming and Climate Change in rural and urban areas of Salem and Namakkal districts. It has taken concrete steps like planting trees, conducting campaigns, exhibitions and rallies to save the earth from environmental degradation.

1. Distributed 1,00,000 saplings in to women Self Help Group members in the year 2011 for plantation.
2. Regular issue of free saplings and tree plantation activities in targeted villages
3. Action against climate change with school and college students
4. Promotion of afforestation in school level
5. Promotion of Environment Watch Dog Committees comprising of students and youth in the name of Nature's Eyelids
6. Won District Level Awards for Best Environment Exhibition held during Flower Show Festival at Salem District
7. Stopped a Bauxite Mining in Salem district through Campaign and social action by Community Based Organizations.
8. Conducted Surveys and researches on the degradation of the environmental condition in Salem Diocese.