Citizens Association for Rural Development

Citizens Association for Rural Development (CARD) was involved in the year 1991 by a band of social activists mainly to render the social services to Read morethe down trodden, dalits, poor, women, children and disabled people as well as the deprived sections of the community. CARD is registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 bearing registration no. GJM 1490-44/91, dated. 06.06.1991 and FCRA Act 1976; bearing Regd. No. 104910047 dated 26.06.1994 along with IT Act 1961, Registered. No. U/S 12A (a) & U/S 80G Presently, CARD is working for the socio-economic development of the Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe and other backward communities in the districts of Ganjam & Gajapati of Odisha State. The founder member of the organization was touched by the needs of the disabled since its inception. Later, he was moved by the love of God to start helping these vulnerable children. He started in a small way to provide community based facilities and some teaching and learning materials for the general development of the school to promote quality education for the children. He started travelling to the rural areas where these children come from to educate their parents and communities to have the right attitude towards these disabled children and to support them within their small means. Some of the poor parents were helped with funds to start some income generating ventures to improve their social and economic lives.  Out of these efforts, the organization was born and officially registered as a Non-Governmental Organization as has been already mentioned. Reaching out to the deprived, neglected and needy people with disabilities, especially children; and building up their confidence through psychological counselling that will enable them to break loose from all social bondage that seeks to belittle their existence and to bridge the gap between them and physically able people in all endeavours. CARD deliberately escorts the exploited and marginalized people having the best ways of sustainability leading towards a viable quality of life. With regards it’s integrated rural and tribal development approaches CARD is organizing people as a self-reliance potential pressure-groups and forums acknowledging their rights. Citizens Association for Rural Development (CARD), Berhampur, Odisha has been implementing the Community Based Rehabilitation of 235 nos. of Persons with Disability in 21 villages under Kukudakhandi Block and 35 villages under Rangeilunda block of Ganjam District. For the last 16 years the PWDs were provided comprehensive rehabilitation services with focus on early detection, assessment, fitments, therapeutic and surgical services, vocational rehabilitation, educational promotion, counseling services etc. The quantitative and qualitative achievements of the project intervention have been significant. The implementing programme is support from CARITAS India / CBR Forum and Deaf Child Worldwide, UK. The project area is predominated by the vulnerable Tribal, Dalit and Disability People, optimal rehabilitation of the PWDs in the rural/ tribal area has been challenging and warrants continuation support for another couple of years before finally Phasing out. Now we have extended and identified 348 Nos. of PWDs. RCH MNGO, ISM & H, CBR of PWDs, Community Health Care, 2 nos. Management of Urban Primary Health Centre in slum areas of Berhampur and PHC New P.Govindapur, 3 nos. managment of Arogya+ Mobile Health Unit (MHU) inaccessible areas of Ganjam & Gajapati district, TB, Malaria Eradication, Sanitation, Women Literacy, Primary Education, Women Empowerment, Disaster Management, Agriculture Promotion, Income Generating Programme through Vocational Training to Community Based Rehabilitation of PWDs and Capacity Building of ASHA, PRIs, GKS, SHGs & CBOs. Protection of Child labour and Advocacy & networking.