ABOUT US
RCPDS is a leading development resource organisation based in Madurai with methodological innovations and field based development concepts, promoting sustainable development of the marginalised sections from Rights perspective. Formed in 2000, for close to two decades, we have been growing and expanding our work with communities in southern Tamilnadu in close relationship with other NGOs and local communities in fighting poverty and social exclusion. The guiding policies of RCPDS consider women, children, dalit, conservation & protection of natural resources and prevention of HIV/AIDS as non-negotiable cross cutting themes in all its intervention.
RCPDS, apart from serving as resource organisation, works directly with most vulnerable sections to ensure they muster their strength to gain a say in the policy arenas that affect them. This is made possible through close partnerships at the grassroots, which make our intervention and advocacy more relevant to their basic needs and alive to their realities. Over the period of years we have reached more than 20,000 families across Madurai, Virudunagar, Nagai and Tuticorin building their capacity to withstand chronic poverty, social struggle, marginalisation, rights deprivation and gain their rights to basic needs and social inclusion. Strong processes have been made to create an enabling environment for children to enjoy their rights in community context.
RCPDS works in various geographical locations but with special focus on improving the livelihoods of dalits and marginalised, especially women and children, from Rights perspective. So far we have carried series of project intervention in Nagapattinam, Madurai and Virudunagar districts of Tamilnadu with special focus on disaster response, school safety programs, child rights protection, climate change, improving livelihood options for dalits, women headed households and the differently abled using self help and participatory approaches as our base. Specialisation of RCPDS include International expertise in participatory approaches, participatory impact assessment, self help approach, child rights approach, sponsorship management, promotion of children led networks and logical frame work. We do run a fully equipped training centre which caters to the development needs of NGO field workers, government extension system and filed placement for academic universities in skill building on concepts and methodological approaches.
RCPDS extend its research and documentation experience to many development practitioners and range of National and International organisations through learning exchange visits and accommodating interns from many of the Northern and Southern Universities. Our interventions are supported by various National and International organisations, especially by Kindernothilfe, Germany and Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Scotland.
RCPDS make headway in critical areas with pilot participatory trials with children and their rights reality and give them a safe future in the lights of changing climate scenario. Children movements are established and are involved in policy advocacy, mitigation and networking processes. In addition, the centre emphasis on close collaboration and consultation with wide range of mainstream actors including academic research institutions/Universities, in the South and in the North.