Achievements

BLESS was established in 1989, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Act 1975, with the Registration number 35/1989. It is entitled to receive foreign funds for the projects.

1989-1992: Bless conducted the village contact building process through data collection and relationship building.

1992-1996: Bless implemented comprehensive community development programme in the village of Portonovo with the support of CEBEMO (Netherlands).

1997-2000: Bless imported vocational skill training for school dropouts, promoted women’s self-help groups, created demand for effective toilets with DESWOS (Germany), Solidarite (France), Water Aid (London) and the Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Corporation Ltd. (Chennai).

2000-2004: BLESS promoted a network with other NGO’s and collaborated with the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) assisting 101 village Panchayats in creating a demand for clean drinking water and sanitation among the local community, school and child care centers.

2004-2009: Tsunami relief and rehabilitation activities.

• 25 Child Care Centres established.

• 7000 children supported with nutritional support, education materials and care.

• 378 houses constructed for the Tsunami victims.

• 5000 Eco-San toilets constructed as an appropriate technology for the coastal areas.

• 178 boats were given with nets to the fishermen communities to restart their livelihood activities.

• 300 acres of land rejuvenated for farming with traditional inputs and knowledge.

• 2000 young people were trained for 14 different trades to become self sufficient .

• 400 Self Help Groups promoted and assisted to get revolving funds, direct linkage to start their income generating activities.

• Mobilization of 400 bicycle fish vendors as a federation in order to obtain micro-credit support, bicycles, shelter for their meetings, insurance and pushed to improve their income and social dignity.

• School dropouts were organized and motivated to continue their school education in the Open School which became the Children Home in 2007 in order to fully take care of these children coming from poor families and take them to school every day.

• 800+ families supported through livestock promotion to increase their income and improve their self-respect through an empowering process by a wonderful training tool of “Corner Stone” (Heifer project.).