About ASSCOD

ASSCOD is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working for rural and economic development in the rural areas of Kancheepuram and Thiruvannamalai Districts in Tamil Nadu, India.  We work mainly with women and families from lower castes who are especially vulnerable to poverty, social injustice, illiteracy and poor health.

After its formation in 1994, ASSCOD originally concentrated mainly on health issues, but has since come to focus its efforts on promoting social and economic development, especially through the empowerment of women.  Since 2003, ASSCOD’s main approach has been centered around the concept of self-help:  organizing women into small groups, encouraging microsavings and credit, and imparting skills and awareness training to its beneficiaries.

However, ASSCOD is also committed to helping people in other ways as new opportunities and needs arise, and so in response to the tsunami that devastated much of coastal Tamil Nadu in 2004, we partnered with other development organizations to assist those affected by the disaster in a variety of ways.  ASSCOD is also dedicated to working closely with smaller, local NGOs and supporting and promoting their efforts.

Our organization has been granted special consultative status by the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs, and has also been certified for good governance by the Indian NGO Credibility Alliance.

ASSCOD's Vision

ASSCOD's vision is of all people in rural India living in an economically developed society, having access to good education and being in good health.

ASSCOD's Mission

ASSCOD empowers rural women and their families through facilitating economic development, establishing educational opportunities and enabling health improvements.
ASSCOD targets groups among lower caste families who are living below the poverty line, these are mainly in the rural areas of Cheyyar and Vandavasi Blocks in Tamil Nadu, India.

Millennium Development Goals

Both ASSCOD's general mission and many of its specific projects have been developed with the view of achieving many of the United Nation's Millenium Development Goals (MDG's) locally within ASSCOD's areas of operation.  The 5 specific goals (out of a total of 8) ASSCOD is actively working towards are:

1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

2. Achieve Universal Primary Education

3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

4. Reduce Child Mortality

5. Improve Maternal Health

ASSCOD is a voluntary organisation registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975.  ASSCOD is also registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) of 1976 and has been granted tax-exempt status under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act of 1961.

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Copyright © 2006,2007 Association for Sustainable Community Development
By B.M.Ware. Last modified: December, 2007