KARD is the out come of the imitative of person committed to the integrated development of disabled persons. But we are very clear from the beginning that the community shall take care of the target group. ‘Taking care’ here refers to the participation of and the contribution by the community.
Thus the focal point of our strategy is on Community Based Rehabilitation of the persons with multiple disabilities. The idea behind the CBR concept is that the affection and recognition accorded by family members of the disabled persons particularly mothers- contribute to a great extent towards the socio-physical and cultural development of the disabled.
The rich and upper middle class people can afford trained nurses to look after their disabled children. But these children loose the emotional security from the mothers which in turn blocks their emotional intelligence. This is the tragedy of the mentally retarded children in our working area-Kanyakumari district.
Before we go into the depth of the problem, it is appropriate here to dwell on some of the basic characteristics / features of mental disability. The world health organization declares that 3% of the population of any country is disabled, But mentally retarded persons constitute 0.5%.,at this conservative estimate the Mentally Retarded persons in our district is about 30,000 to 40,000 as the district population is beyond two million. Though the figure is alarming, we need not panic. To rectify, it is enough if we launch a concerted Community Based Rehabilitation campaign to rehabilitate these persons.
This project idea is the driving force of the initiative of KARD’s CBR approach.

The vision of KARD is to motivate the community people to contribute and participate in Community Based Rehabilitation of mentally retarded persons.

KARD is concentrating on the orthopedically and mentally disabled persons in three blocks of Kanyakumari district. We have identified fifty eight mentally retarded persons from the below poverty line families and provide them basic self-help skills and inter-personal development skills.
The target people both children and adults hail from poor families, but neglected to deprivation and depravity is due to either ignorance or poverty. Some of them are even chained in the backyard or left to begging for their day to day survival.

Against this background we have attempted to rehabilitate MR children. The motive is to provide self-help education and inter personal relationship techniques in the center by six well trained staff. We provide meals, clothing and health care support through sponsors.
Apart from that, we have established good rapport and working relationship with PHCs, Government Hospitals, Social welfare Board, Revenue Department, District Disabled Rehabilitation Department, Banks and District Collectorate. We have motivated people of the community to contribute to this project in all respects.

We do not have permission to develop infrastructure on this land for this community contributed rehabilitation center for the mentally disabled children. The present buildings are constructed in the government owned puromboke lands. Here we have the risk of being evicted without prior notice. .But sponsors are coming forward to provide material or money to strengthen the infrastructure. Non availability of a four wheeler vehicle is also a major constraint to provide timely care / Support and conveyance.

Here we appeal to the government departments, NGOs and private philanthropists to extend their support on three sectors. The government shall extend full support and co-operation to this kind of innovative type of rehabilitation programs. The NGOs shall come forward to start such models of CUMMUNITY CONTRIBUTED REHABILTATION programs, by tapping and utilizing the locally available resources. The people of the community shall come forward to be generous to help to rehabilitate the unfortunate mentally challenged brothers and sisters, who hail form our own community.
We request the NGOs to replicate this example of new venture in their own operational area along with their regular programs and project activities

The Kanyakumari Rural Development Society (KARD) is an organization standing for justice and truth and fight against the injustice and exploitation that is being done to the down trodden people who are in the lower strata of the society. It will inculcate, human values in the minds of the people, especially the disabled eradicating illiteracy, ignorance and poverty that are found among them. KARD is a voluntary organization, which is registered under the societies Act. The Director of the project, Dr. S. Basil Rajan is the Director of the society. The society was registered in the year 1985 and is registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). We have obtained permanent tax exemption U/s (80G) of the Income Tax Act from the Income Tax Department. We have 12AA Registration with the Commissioner of Income Tax Madurai. KARD has been identified as the Nodal Agency by the Government of TamilNadu to implement its rehabilitation programs with regard to disabilities and are functioning with outstanding performance. KARD has two well – equipped ortho workshops and have qualified ortho technicians and committed and experienced rehabilitation workers. KARD is running two Adult Homes – one for men and another one for women. We cater a total of one hundred and twenty adults through all these institutions. These residential centers has been run purely with LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS for the past thirty two years. We started with five children and now we have one hundred and twenty adults. We have been running a home for the abandoned elderly people who were neglected and left uncared in the streets. KARD has implemented project ID- Interface on Disability in the entire Kanyakumari District, in which we have been giving training to Village Health Nurses of the Government Health Department and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) on Disability and Newborn Baby Screening.

• Non Formal Education for Peoples Awareness and Organizing of Youth with Special Reference to International Youth Year. (1985 – 1986)
• Non Formal Education and Youth Activities. (1987 – 1988)
• Awareness Cum Integrated Development Program.(1989 – 1990.)
• Education and Organization of Youth and Women in Thovalai Taluk.(1991-1992)
• Rural Disabled Rehabilitation Program.(1989 – …)
• Women Education Project.(1996 – 1998)
• Women Empowerment Project.(2000 – 2001)
• Feasibility Study for School for the Mentally Handicapped Children in Nagercoil. (1995)
• Prevention of Disability and Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Nagercoil Municipal area. (1998 – 2001)
• Action on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Thiruvattar Block. (1998 – 2001)
• Project ID- Interface on Disability. (1998 – 2002)

The Kanyakumari Rural Development Society, (KARD) is a Voluntary Organization working with the people of Kanyakumari District for the past thirty two years. It was registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act in the year 1985. KARD has been serving as a charitable organisation and we have obtained 12AA registration and our organisation has been registered under 80G of Income Tax Act. We have also registered under Foreign Contributions Regulations Act and obtained FCRA number. We have been submitting reports to the respective departments regularly. KARD has been implementing various programs since 1985 – Organization and Education of Women, Agriculturists, Students and Youth, Mother and Child Health program, Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Thovalai Taluk, Prevention of Disability and Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Nagercoil Municipal Area, Action on Disability prevention and Rehabilitation in Thiruvattar Block and Community Based Rehabilitation ( CBR ) programs for the disabled.. At present, KARD is implementing the Community Based Rehabilitation programs for the disabled-Prevention of disability by conducting Disability Awareness trainings /seminars to various groups in the society namely; youth, women, village leaders, village elders, school teachers, religious groups, students etc. The causes for disability, need for its prevention and the importance of mobility appliance in their physical mobility have been discussed and explained. Rehabilitation activities cover five major disabilities – orthopedically disabled, visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded, cerebral palsy and victims of leprosy. A door to door survey was conducted to identify the disabled persons, and about six thousand disabled persons have been identified. We have been conducting assessments and reviews for the respective disabilities separately and disabled persons have been screened. For the orthopedically disabled, mobility appliances like calipers, crutches, walkers, special footwear, body braces, tricycles have been provided. For the visually impaired, referrals for cataract surgery are done, and spectacles are supplied to those requiring the same. Mobility canes are given to those who can use the same. For the hearing impaired, referrals are made to special schools, and hearing aids are provided to those who would benefit by using the same. For those detected with leprosy, arrangements are made for treatment at Primary Health Centres or leprosy hospitals. Persons with anesthetic feet are given micro cellular rubber footwear. We are running a residential Adult Homes for the Mentally Challenged at Nagercoil – SPASTICS CENTRE OF KANYAKUMARI for men and SCHOOL FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED for women. Nearly 125 adults stay in these Homes and receive vocational training. Apart from the curriculum, we provide food, dress, medical care, recreational activities and the needed therapies. We have been running these programs purely with local contributions. We have named this model of rehabilitation as Community Contributed Rehabilitation. All the inmates who are staying here in these residential homes are orphan, neglected, poor mentally disabled persons who has nobody to take care of them. KARD has been authorized by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu through Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, to implement Project ID – Interface on Disability – in Kanyakumari District. In this project we have been conducting screening of newborn babies in Govt. hospitals in our district, for identification, intervention and rehabilitation in the early childhood days itself. So far we have screened 1758 new born babies in the three major government hospitals of our district and have identified 157 children with disabilities. The identified children have been followed up and the needed motivation and guidance have been given to the parents for providing early intervention and rehabilitation. With the aim to provide rehabilitation to all the disabled persons of our district, we have brought together the organizations working for the disabled in Kanyakumari District and have formed a Network to share thoughts and ideas leading to exchange of skills and expertise, and joint action. We have named it as Kanyakumari District Disabled Development Network (KDDN), and we are meeting on the second Saturday of every month. KARD is a member of other networks also – State level Interface on Disability Network, Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association, District level Social Action Movement. We are working in collaboration with many organizations in our state – Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, Chennai; Helen Keller Service Society, Madurai; Govt. of Tamil Nadu (Rehabilitation Department, Health Department, Revenue Department). This helps us to implement our programs in a better and effective manner.

• Member NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil.
• Member SOCIAL SERVICE LEAGUE, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil.
• Secretary UNDER GREDUATE ENGLISH LITERARY ASSOCIATION,Scott Christian College, Nagercoil – 1979-1980
• Secretary POST GREDUATE ENGLISH LITERARY ASSOCIATION, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil – 1983-1984.
• Member, ALL INDIA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FEDERATION, Nagercoil.
• Member, Y’SMENS Club, Nagercoil.
• Secretary, YOUTH WELFARE CLUB– christnagar, for six years (two consecutive terms)
• Founder member, ANNAI THERASA NARPANI MANDRAM, Nagercoil.
• Secretary, ANNAI THERASA NARPANI MANDRAM, Nagercoil for 3 years.
• President, ANNAI THERASA NARPANI MANDRAM, Nagercoil for 3 years.
• Secretary, OASIS VOLLEY BALL CLUB, Christnagar, Nagercoil.
• Advisory committee Member –TNVHA CBR PROJECT, TNVHA, Tamil Nadu.
• Founder Convener, KDDN,-KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT DISABLED DEVELOPMENT NETWORK for 4 years.
• Member, TAMIL NADU VOLUNTARY HEALTH ASSOCIATION, Chennai.
• Member, PROJECT ID – INTERFACE ON DISABILITY NETWORK, Tamil Nadu.
• Nodal Agent to implement TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT’S TWENTY POINT PROGRAM WITH REGARD TO CHILDREN AND DISABILITIES.
• Member, DISTRICT COORDINATION COMMITTEE, TNVHA, Kanyakumari District.
• Member DISTRICT MENTAL HEALTH CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE, Kanyakumari District.

• FOUNDER, Community Contributed Rehabilitation, KARD.
• FOUNDER SECRETARY, Kanyakumari Rural Development Society.
• PROJECT DIRECTOR, KARD, Nagercoil.
• DIRECTOR, Blossom Hostel for the Mentally Retarded.
• MEMBER, Social Action Movement, (District level Net work of NGOs)
• CO-ORDINATOR, Study Centre for Bangalore University.
• MEMBER, Social Action Movement, Tamil Nadu.(State level Network of NGOs)
• MEMBER, District co-ordination Committee, TNVHA, K.K.District.
• MEMBER, All India Confederation of Organization for Persons with Mental Disabilities, Chennai. (A state level Network.)
• DISTRICT CO-ORDINATOR, All India Confederation of Organization for Persons with Mental Disabilities
• DISRTICT PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR, Special Olympics Bharat, Tamil Nadu.
• DIRECTOR, SPASTICS CENTRE OF KANNYAKUMARI, Nagercoil. (A Day care Special School for the Mentally Retarded)
• DIRECTOR, SCHOOL FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED, Nagercoil. ( A Residential Special School for the Mentally Retarded)
• DIRECTOR, KANYA INSITUTE ON MENTAL RETARDATION STUDIES Aralvoimozhi, K.K.District. (A Day care Special School for the Mentally Retarded)
• TREASURER, KANYAKUMARI HABITAT FOR HUMANITY (KKHFH) Kanyakumari.
• REPAYMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER, KKHFH.
• Member, ENNANGALIN SANGAMAM, A State leve Network of NGOs.
• Committee Member Covid-19 Prevention Kanyakumari District.
• Committee Member Welfare if the Aged Kanyakumari District.

• Pamphlets bearing facts on Orthopaedic Disabilities- Causes, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Orthopaedically Disabled.(Tamil)
• Pamphlets bearing facts on Visual Impairment-Causes, Prevention, Treatment, of Eye diseases and Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired. (Tamil)
• Pamphlets bearing facts Hearing Impairment- Causes, Prevention, Treatment of Hearing problems and related diseases, and Rehabilitation of the Hearing Impaired.
• Pamphlets bearing facts on Skin Ailments-Leprosy-Skin diseases- its Causes, Prevention and Treatment and Rehabilitation of Leprosy patients. (Tamil)
• Pamphlets bearing facts on Mental Disabilities- Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Autism etc., its Cause, Prevention, Treatment of the mentally challenged persons, and Rehabilitation of mentally challenged persons. (Tamil)
• Booklet on “Cerebral Palsy” which explains the causes, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Mentally Challenged in detail in local language.
• Booklet on “Orthopedic Disabilities” explains the Causes, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Orthopedic disabled persons in local language.
• Served as Consultant in the publication of the Manuel for the field Workers in the implementation of CBR programs, published by TNVHA, Chennai. (Tamil)
• Pamphlets bearing awareness information on Early Identification, early Intervention and early Treatment of Childhood Disabilities. (Tamil)
• Pamphlets bearing information which differentiates Mental Illness and Mental Retardation. (Tamil)
• A letter to the Public’ which bears information on disabilities and how to treat the persons with disabilities while mingling with them in our society.
• Pamphlets bearing the Milestones of New Born Babies. (Tamil)
• Published a Manual for Rehabilitation Workers- ‘Orumaipadu’ along with Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. (Tamil)
• Published Pamphlets bearing informations on need for childhood immunizations against deadly diseases- Polio, Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, Measles etc.,
• Published Pamphlets bearing Immunization Chart for childhood diseases.
• Published Pamphlets bearing facts on the Epidemic Plague . (Tamil)
• Booklet on Mental Illness – which explains causes, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation patients with epilepsy in local language – Tamil
• Booklet on Fits (Epilepsy) – which explains causes, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation patients with epilepsy in local language – Tamil
• Booklet on Mental IRetardation – which explains causes, prevention, treatment and rehabilitationr retarded persons in local language -Tamil

a. Non Formal Education and Youth Activities (Kanyakumari District):
For this project the 56 Villages of Thovalai Taluk, in Kanyakumari District were identified and the people of these 56 villages have been organised in to sangas (viz.) youth clubs, Ladies clubs, Agriculturists Association, Young Students Movements, Young Children workers Association etc. and these sangas were motivated and trained to identify their village problems and work for the welfare of their respective village.

b. Non Formal Education For Peoples Awareness and Organising of Youth with Special Reference to International Youth year(kanyakumari District):
In this project, the socio economic survey was done in most deserving 56 villages identified by our staff team. The medical, social and economic problems in these villages have been identified and the staff were given training to motivate and sensitise the community people, and to organize them in to sangas.

c. Education and Organisation of People in Thovalai Taluk (kanyakumari District):
The Identified youth, women, Agriculturists, Young Students, Young children workers, mothers were given training on leadership, problem solving skills, small savings, health, etc and they were enabled to understand the social and economic systems of their society and thus they were made to work for their own society. Health being a very important and integral part of our society, more attention was given to improve the health system and more activities have been implemented to develop and promote health activities. Pregnant mothers and children under five years have been identified and the mothers were motivated to take healthy food to present malnutrition among pregnant mothers and children. They were also motivated to get vaccines for the deadly diseases and attempted to prevent infant mortality. An integrated health development activity was implemented along with the govt. Health Department study facility was provided for the young students by conducting ‘Night Study Classes’ in their respective village itself. Dropouts were put back in the normal schools, and the young children workers were taught literacy and numeracy through non formal Education. In all these associations and sangas, Leadership trainings and small savings were concentrated to lead the Community People and to plan and implement development activities. They were enabled to get co-ordinate and to merge in to federations.

d. Women Education Project (Kanyakumari District):
Twenty five most deserving harijan villages were identified in Agasteeswaram Taluk of Kanyakumari District and with the motive to “Educate the women to educate the family” the women were organised into sangas and these women were given training on leadership micro money management, health, political system society and women, and they were made to work for their own community. These sangas were coordinated to form Federations.

e. Women Empowerment Project (Kanyakumari District):
With the help of Tamil Nadu voluntary health association, the leaders of women groups have been given training to empower them and to lead their community. They were given training to take care of health system in their etc., legal awareness was also concentrated so as to make them good and sensitive leaders of their community.

f. Rural Disabled Rehabilitation program (Kanyakumari District):
Seeing the more number of persons with disabilities in the community, our staff team decided to concentrate on preventing disabilities 1990 onwards. Hence we actively launched rehabilitation programs for the persons with disabilities in our district. The first of its kind is Rural Disabled Rehabilitation Program. We started identifying them in Thovalai Taluk and conducted camps for them-Ortho camps, Eye camps, Camps for the mentally challenged, Camps for the Hearing impaired and skin caps to identify leprosy victims. In Thovalai Taluk the following persons were identified.

The Kanyakumari Rural Development Society, (KARD) is a Voluntary Organization working with the people of Kanyakumari District for the past thirty two years. It was registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act in the year 1985. KARD has been serving as a charitable organisation and we have obtained 12AA registration and our organisation has been registered under 80G of Income Tax Act. We have also registered under Foreign Contributions Regulations Act and obtained FCRA number. We have been submitting reports to the respective departments regularly.

KARD has been implementing various programs since 1985 – Organization and Education of Women, Agriculturists, Students and Youth, Mother and Child Health program, Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Thovalai Taluk, Prevention of Disability and Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Nagercoil Municipal Area, Action on Disability prevention and Rehabilitation in Thiruvattar Block and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR ) programs for the disabled.

At present, KARD is implementing the Community Based Rehabilitation programs for the disabled-Prevention of disability by conducting Disability Awareness trainings /seminars to various groups in the society namely; youth, women, village leaders, village elders, school teachers, religious groups, students etc., The causes for disability, need for its prevention and the importance of mobility appliance in their physical mobility have been discussed and explained.

Rehabilitation activities cover five major disabilities – orthopaedically disabled, visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded, cerebral palsy and victims of leprosy. A door to door survey was conducted to identify the disabled persons, and about six thousand disabled persons have been identified. We have been conducting assessments and reviews for the respective disabilities separately and disabled persons have been screened. For the orthopaedically disabled, mobility appliances like calipers, crutches, walkers, special footwear, body braces, tricycles have been provided. For the visually impaired, referrals for cataract surgery are done and spectacles are supplied to those requiring the same. Mobility canes are given to those who can use the same. For the hearing impaired, referrals are made to special schools, and hearing aids are provided to those who would benefit by using the same. For those detected with leprosy, arrangements are made for treatment at Primary Health Centres or leprosy hospitals. Persons with anesthetic feet are given micro cellular rubber footwear.

We have been running two Adult Homes for abandoned mentally challenged persons one for men and another one for women. All together we have one hundred and twenty orphaned and abandoned and left uncared in the streets of Nagercoil- the headquarters of Kanyakumari District .
KARD has been authorized by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu through Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, to implement Project ID – Interface on Disability – in Kanyakumari District. In this project we have been conducting screening of newborn babies in Govt. hospitals in our district, for identification, intervention and rehabilitation in the early childhood days itself. So far we have screened 1758 new born babies in the three major government hospitals of our district and have identified 157 children with disabilities. The identified children have been followed up and the needed motivation and guidance have been given to the parents for providing early intervention and rehabilitation.

With the aim to provide rehabilitation to all the disabled persons of our district, we have brought together the organizations working for the disabled in Kanyakumari District and have formed a Network to share thoughts and ideas leading to exchange of skills and expertise, and joint action. We have named it as Kanyakumari District Disabled Development Network (KDDN), and we are meeting on the second Saturday of every month.

KARD is a member of other networks also – State level Interface on Disability Network, Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association, District level Social Action Movement.

We are working in collaboration with many organizations in our state – Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, Chennai; Helen Keller Service Society, Madurai, Govt. of Tamil Nadu (Rehabilitation Department, Health Department, Revenue Department). This helps us to implement our programs in a better and effective manner.