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Makkal shakthi – Advocacy for Governance, Protection and Promotion for Human Rights. 

          EMPOWER carries out community development in Tuticorin uban slums covering a population of about 1 lac.  There are individual cases of human rights violation represented to EMPOWER guidance and redressal.

            EMPOWER has imparted training to teachers trainers, Block Level Teachers Educators on Human Rights, Child Rights and Child Rights Protection. Mrs. Meera Shankar is one of Tamilnadu State trainer for UNICEF on Child Protection issues.

          EMPOWER had been in the forefront to popularize the Right to Information Act 2005 in Tuticorin District, through various strategies such through a mobile van disseminating information through street corner meetings, distributing information pamphlets, conducting RTI clinics beneath the trees in the villages and guiding the eager citizens how to utilize the RTI act to access information and their part in transparent and accountable governance.

      EMPOWER had been active in organizing the Voters Awareness Campaign for Free and Fair Election, motivate the general public to cast their vote without fail and facilitate a common platform for the candidates to express their promises and programs for their constituency.

Vigyan Shakthi      – Promotion of ICT for Development                    

            EMPOWER has promoted an E-FORUM called EMPOWER INDIA and has been successfully disseminating information ,news and articles on development especially on HIV/AIDS,   filling   information  on behalf of SIHRN  ( South Indian Harm Reduction Network). It is has emerged as one of the key forums for e-mail discussion and a powerful tool for advocacy.

        Besides, the organization is planning to set up Village Knowledge Centres along the coastal areas to make available to the fisher folk the ocean information services for weather information, disaster alert and enhance livelihood opportunities. The organization is actively seeking financial support to establish VKC at   5 coastal villages. 

Jeevanadharashakthi   – Livelihood Supports

               EMPOWER envisions that   all communities must lead that sustainable and quality livelihood. It is for this fact the organization has promoted more than 125 Micro-credit groups for among the most poor and marginalized   women, youth and men in Tuticorin Municipality Pudukottai, Ottapidaram and Srivaikundam Blocks. With loans from the nationalized banks and basic training the following is the details of those started livelihood programs in the year 2005-07.   

      In the post tsunami scenario EMPOWER had come to the rescue of the fisher folk community by motivating, training the SHG members on Seaweed Cultivation by through raft method. 4 SHGs are involved in the project in Mullakadu and Camp II areas with technical and buy-back arrangement from Pepsico Beverages Holding and with lending from State Bank of India and subsidy from DRDA, Tuticorin. On an average one person is earning Rs. 6000 – 7000 per month. EMPOWER plans to extend this successful livelihood program to other coastal areas of Tutiocrin District.

Kala Shakthi – Centre for Promotion of Arts and Crafts

        EMPOWER believes that art and crafts can empower communities by being a medium of socially relevant messages , solace to the distressed and depressed in the art form of art therapy and a livelihood opportunity for those able to strive and apply their creativity.  

        EMPOWER had built a street theatre team called  Ilaya Shakti Kalai Kuzhu and have performing sensitization and Awareness building on issues relating to Health, Child  and women  rights form 2000. Besides, the Third Theatre method the team also adopts Indian traditional folk art forms such oyillattam, thappatam , kummiattam etc. Ilaya Shakti team had been as part of various campaigns and cultural caravans and rallies in the district on promoting healthy behaviors. This street theatre team had performed more than 270 street plays and cultural programs on various social themes in the last 7 years.

          EMPOWER had initiated non-gold Jewelry making and hand and machine embroidery as an income generating program for the women who are the inmates of the short stay home. Involvement in such trade itself is much a joy for the young women and girls who are from distressing circumstances.

Nugarvore Shakthi. – Centre for Consumer Education, Research and Advocacy

Consumer clubs in School:  With support of the District Supply office of the Tuticorin District EMPOWER has organized consumer clubs in 30 schools and 15 colleges in Tuticorin District. The main aim is to inculcate consumer right and responsibilities among children and adolescents and promote them as concerned citizens.

Major Accomplishment:

 Consumer clubs in 40 schools and Colleges established and functioning on a sustained basis.

Training Programs on Consumer Rights and related issues:

          EMPOWER conducts periodical capacity building training in collaboration with District Administration for the self help groups, government officials on Consumers Rights and Responsibilities, in promoting gas cylinder safety and role of consumer in being alert about the safety precautions, adulteration, the weights and measures, women and consumer etc.    

Ilaya Shakthi   – Youth Empowerment

            From the year 2006, the EMPOWER’s HIV prevention project began to initiate working among unmarried youth and adolescents on HIV. By June 2007 which is end of the project period, 34 Teen Health Clubs and 18 Youth Clubs of formed focusing on safe behaviors and healthy life styles promoting abstinence through life Skills Education and Value Education. EMPOWER feels that the efforts have to be  further consolidated and strengthened focusing  on the age group of  13- 24 years   who are the future of the Tuticorin Urban backward  settlement.

            The main challenges of the youth are Drop–out from schools before completing the secondary education. Employment before the age of 18 years in unskilled menial jobs. Love affaires among the adolescents leading to unsafe sex, multi-partner relationships and also premarital sex and pregnancy. Sexual exploitation by the older members in the community and at work place. Early initiation into drugs such as cigarettes, beedis, marijuana, alcohol by a vast majority of male youth. Loosening social control and changing social mores due to globalization.

Besides, there are a percentage of effeminate adolescent boys with confused sexual identity and are in the verge of emotional trauma with lack of family and societal support who drop out from school and take up sex work for their livelihood. Also, there are still male adolescents and youth from broken homes who are vulnerable and perform petty thefts and other crime get recruited as an anti-social.

            In the present set up there are no exclusive modes of entertainment to channelise their energies such as playgrounds for play or any avenues for creativity or any specific programs for slum adolescents and youth to express their creativity or learn new skills and knowledge within their dwellingareas.

         There is a need to constructively canalize their energies and efforts for their self – development to adhere to safer life-style by promoting sports, games and living arts and also enable them to get a sustainable income.

Mahalir Shakthi   –   Women empowerment

 Micro-credit for Women: EMPOWER has promoted S.H.G. among the slum and rural population with the focus on savings micro credit and income generation. All the 100 SHG    initiated by EMPOWER from 2000 are linked to nationalized banks. Currently, the organization looking for partners to provide skill training to the youth members for a sustainable income such as seaweed cultivation for the Tsunami affected coastal community.

      Major Accomplishment:

      Redemption from debt among the 80% of the SHG.

      Skill development.

      Socio-economic activity on a sustained basis.

Short Stay Home for Women in Distress: The organization has been running the Short Stay Home for Women in distress with support of Central Social Welfare Board from the year 2003. The services provided are food, accommodation, psycho- social support, life skills, legal aid, vocational training, and rehabilitation towards mainstreaming into the society. 

Major Accomplishment:

300 women with problems of marital discord and about their 130 children                   have been rehabilitated in the last 4 years.   –

Sustained vocational training on tailoring and embroidery and initiation of training on artificial non-gold jewelry making.             

 Arogya Shakthi    – Promotion of Health and Development

 HIV/AIDS Prevention Project among Core Population                                                                   

          From 1 October 2007, EMPOWER  initiated Peer Driven STI /HIV/ AIDS Prevention Program among Core Population in 6 Blocks in Tuticorin District for  five years in Tuticorin District  with support of APAC- which is administered by Voluntary Health Services (VHS), Chennai with financial assistance from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under bilateral agreement with the Government of India.

Target Population: It is mandated to cover the Female sex workers ( FSW) , Men who are having sex with men (MSM) and Injecting Drug users (IDU).

Target Area: To saturate coverage of the core population in six blocks of Tuticorin District such as Tuticorin, Ottapidaram, Villathikulam, Pudur, Kayathar and Kovilpatti. 

Drop –in –centres are established in Tuticorin  and Kovilpatti for the community to access services..

 Counseling services in the rural hospitals in Tuticorin District

       This project   is being initiated from December 06 through support of Tamilnadu Health System Govt. of Tamilnadu for offering ANC and PNC counseling to   mothers and their families with placement of Female Counselors in rural Government Hospitals of Kayalpattinam and Udangudi Blocks in Tuticorin District.

STD/HIV/AIDS Prevention among Slum Population of Tuticorin: EMPOWER is working in Tuticorin among the Urban Backward Settlements (Slum Populations) to carry out STD/HIV/AIDS prevention among 75,000 population covering 101 slums in urban and panchyat area for the past 9 through the support of the AIDS Prevention and Control Project (APAC) – VHS, Chennai.  The basic thrust of this project is Quality care for STD, Behaviour Change Communication, Peer Education, Condom Promotion, and Advocacy. As part of this project a number “Teen Health clubs’ formed to promote and sustain Abstinence Messages among slum adolescents.

      Major Accomplishment:

1. 95 % of the members of the community outreached with inter-personal communication.
2. The increase in health seeking behaviour of the community.
3. Increase number of people reporting Reproductive and sexually transmitted infections and underwent counseling for HIV prevention.         
4. 6,359 persons with STI identified and 15, 023 treated for STI .

5.      466 condom outlets established and for selling condoms with number of women headed condom outlets.

6.      1130 of the members of slum community trained as Peer Educators trained in HIV prevention.

7.      An excellent network of Health Care providers trained in HIV and Quality STI care and rapport established. – 65 private doctors, 60 pharmacists, 15 Indigenous Medical Practioners , 20 Auxiliary Nursing Midwives  and 62 Community Health Workers .

8.      24 Teen Health Clubs and 8 Youth Clubs of formed focusing on safe behaviors and healthy life styles promoting abstinence.  They function as change agents bringing about behavior development among adolescents and unmarried youths.

Rapid Assessment Situational Study in Tuticorin and Tirunelveli Districts.

              Injecting drug users have become a significant risk group for the HIV and now play a major role in HIV transmission in many parts of the world. Injecting drug abuse is escalating in India and injecting drug users are found in all major metropolitan cities of the country. In order, to study the nature, dimension and magnitude of the problem, EMPOWER has conducted A Rapid Assessment Study among 150 IDUs in Tuticorin District and 100 IDUs in Tirunelveli District.

STD/HIV/AIDS Intervention among the Intravenous drug users in Tuticorin District.: This project is being initiated from October 06 to prevent HIV/STI among drug users and their regular sex partners in Tuticorin district with support of Project Network initiated by Sharan , New Delhi through DFID Challenge Fund.

 Major Accomplishment:

Prevalence of IDUs in Tuticorin established Injecting practices and risk behavior studied in detail. Intervention initiated. Advocacy with the law enforcement agencies strengthened. Enlightened about the special problems of the female drug users and the spouses of male drug users.  Self –support groups formed among spouses of IDU and heroin chasers.

Reducing Substance Use Related HIV Vulnerability in Female Drug Users & Female Partners of Male Drug Users:

          With support of, UNODC ROSA, in collaboration with the Government of India, a study was conducted to assess and reduce the HIV-related vulnerabilities among women partners of male drug users. 43 female partners of male drug users and 17 female drug users were interviewed and 2 life narratives prepared which threw a lot their lives and how they are struggling to adapt to the spouse abusive behaviour owing to drug abuse. Majority needed free de-addiction services or some form of alternate therapy. All of them are desperate for some sort of support – psycho-social, vocational training and livelihood opportunities. 

 Major Accomplishment:

Two self- support groups have been initiated in Threspuram and Fathima Nagar.

e).Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding:

            EMPOWER had been working in the area of Reproductive and Child health for past three years.  The organization had been actively promoting breast-feeding among the slum population in Tuticorin. EMPOWER has been committed to the cause of  Breastfeeding and working  among child care workers and health care providers and published posters on the Salient Features of the IMS act  and a booklet entitled ‘Breastfeeding is Best’ .

         EMPOWER is also the life member of BPNI.   Besides, World Breast-Feeding Days have been observed by EMPOWER in collaboration with   health and child welfare dept. of the district from 2002 onwards.