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)

2020-2021 Bless implemented and continued work on the following projects:

  1. Village Development Programme (FFVDP)
    • Working with 7 villages, the mission topics of leadership, education, household care, healthcareare, earnings and finances, values and ethics assisted community development.
  2. Theresa Hail-Haar-COVID – 19 – dry ration kit support to Elamangalam village
    • Bless worked to improve the livelihood of vulnerable communities by providing free masks, relief packages, education awareness and motivation for COVID vaccinations
  3. Bless Specialized Children Adoption Home
    • The adoption centre takes care of abandoned, surrendered and also orphan children, and additionally legally giving children on adoption to the needy parents as per the guidance and direction of CWC, SARA and CARA.
  4. AEM Children’s Home
    • Provided devices children could attend online class during the pandemic
    • Provided counselling and support following lockdown stressors
    • Provided education support and extracurricular activities
  5. AEM Children Activity Centers
    • The centers conduct their activities for three hours from evening 5 to 8 pm.
    • Games and sports were the starting activity of the day. These games and sports activities involve both the physical and mental abilities of children. Mostly the teachers conduct traditional games, awareness games, motivational games etc.
    • Reviewing children’s daily performance in their respective schools.
    • Guiding children to do their homework.
    • Providing answers to children’s doubts on their subjects.
    • Encouraging them to study their lesions.
    • Conducting weekly tests to improve their capability and presentation skills.
    • Mental mathematics, quiz ,and riddles, general knowledge, and important and current happenings in the country at large are the other subjects dealt in the centers.     
  6. Micro Credit Programme NABARD – NABFINS Finance
    • Distribution of small loans to women to increase financial independence.
  7. Enna Nagaram School Toilet and Water Facility Programmes
    • On the request School management asked Bless to construct toilets and other needed water facilities for their children.
    • Resulting in 43 students and the teachers in the school are benefiting from the construction of the toilet and water facility project.
  8. Tiger worm toilet project-Sustainable Sanitation for Rural Communities
    • Bless constructed 300 tiger worm toilets in 6 villages spread over in Keerapalayam Block of Cuddalore district in Tamilnadu
  9. Improving and Sustaining the Income of Inland  Fish Vendors in the face of Climate Change –Project
    • Bless provided training on integrated aquaculture which involved how to do inland fish farming (fresh water) in available local ponds and water bodies. Additionally, providing education on how to do and organize various other livelihood activities around the ponds.
    • Bless also assisted in fundraising and loan lending for fish vendors.

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