D
r. Cletus Babu, is a personification of love and selflessness. His achievements and sacrificial service especially to the economically poor and the marginalized speak volumes of his firm commitment and daring ventures. Dr. Babu, well-known social entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist, was born on 09th October, 1952 to parents from fishermen community in a village called Thiruvattar – Puthenkadai of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu. He possesses a doctoral degree in Community Development, the field of his chosen service. Dr. Babu started the organization SCAD (Social Change And Development) in 1985 which is a social work organization with a human face serving the underprivileged and downtrodden in Tamil Nadu. It is dedicated to foster dignity in the lives of the poor, marginalized and underprivileged sections of the society such as, gypsies, salt pan workers, snake charmers, leprosy patients, landless agricultural workers, physically and mentally challenged, rural women, orphan elders and children. SCAD is working in almost 600 villages in the districts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari benefiting around 6 lakh people. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of SCAD has been functioning since 1995, transferring technologies and innovations in the field of agriculture to the rural farmers and agriculturists. Under Dr. Babu’s leadership and meticulous management SCAD has adopted a total of 250 backward Village Schools where 15,000 children are given integral support to pursue their studies.
Dr. Babu’s unlimited service has spread to the gypsy community as he runs a Special School for Gypsies where so far 500 gypsy children have been benefited and rehabilitated. 250 gypsy families have been given multi-faceted support like housing, medical care, education and old age pension. A permanent settlement has been established for the gypsies near Pettai and SCAD has built pucca houses for the target families. It is noteworthy to say that Anbu Illam, a Special School for the Physically/ Mentally Challenged is functioning at SCAD, Cheranmahadevi Campus as well as in Ponnakudi in Tirunelveli District where 120 children
currently pursue education. 2,000 disabled adults and children are covered under community based rehabilitation (CBR). Care and Rehabilitation is provided to the differently abled people in SCAD’s adopted villages. Therapeutic treatment and rehabilitation is provided at the door steps of the physically challenged persons through Mobile Camps. Regular Health education is provided to the field Health workers.
In collaboration with the Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Babu runs special schools for Child Laborers whereby the number of child laborers has decreased. A school, which is run for the Children of Saltpan Workers in Tuticorin District, educates economically poor saltpan workers’ children. In the SCAD adopted villages Literacy Programs, Awareness Programs and Capacity-Building Programs are conducted at regular intervals. 25,000 youth are being trained in the Modular Employability Skills and Mass Literacy Programs. Tailoring, bag-making, embroidery and candle making units are part of SCAD’s Vocational Training Programme by which 3,000 women have been benefited. Through SCAD’s Nutrition Project, Dr. Babu strives to eradicate malnutrition in villages. This project that began in 10 villages has now been scaled to another 200 villages. In addition to this, SCAD has restored 100 traditional water structures (Ooranies) in Tuticorin District. Fresh water fish culture has also been encouraged in these structures.
Regular Medical Camps are organized by SCAD in its adopted villages. More than 1,500 different Medical Camps have been conducted so far in the target villages. Mobile Medical Camps are organized frequently by SCAD and medicines are supplied to more than 500 rural people. Siddha Medicine is promoted in the working villages of SCAD. The villagers are encouraged to grow different varieties of medicinal plants and herbs in their houses as herbal kitchen gardens that can cure minor ailments. Continuous awareness on herbal medicines is being created by SCAD team. Regular Eye Camps are conducted in collaboration with Aravind Eye Hospital in all the SCAD adopted villages where more than 1,500 patients undergo Cataract operations every year. Pre and postnatal care are provided by SCAD to the women suffering from anemia and malnutrition. SCAD’s nutritious health mix is provided to the children in SCAD adopted villages to supplement the nutritional deficiency in children.
3,500 Women Self Help Groups promoted by SCAD are being federated as Panchayat and Block level federations, which fight for the rights and privileges of oppressed women, and are being helped to grow through micro finance initiatives. 55,000 women are being empowered through multifarious development trainings and entrepreneurial initiatives.
The drop-outs and disadvantaged women are being given need based and market oriented vocational training programs to earn their livelihood. 60 families of snake catchers are supported by SCAD by which their children enter into the portals of educational institutions.
Dr. Babu has a rehabilitation center for leprosy affected people. 65 leprosy affected persons’ families are being taken care of by SCAD as a community for the past 28 years. These socially stigmatized people are rehabilitated by providing housing facilities, medical support on a continual basis by running a health centre, a community hall constructed for their social gatherings, education to their children. Women self help group members are encouraged to enhance their habit of saving. An important feature of SCAD’s health care initiative is support for orphan elders by giving them old age pension, organising health camps, counselling on behavioural change, etc. in rural areas. 60 Ecological Development Programs have been functioning at the grass-root villages of SCAD which have widely increased the green cover. SCAD is also involved in research and development activities in studying the application of bio-char, bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticide and effective microbes as manure to plants for sustainable organic farming.
When Tsunami incurred heavy human casualties in 2004, Dr. Babu and SCAD stood firm to rehabilitate the affected people belonging to the coastal areas of Southern Tamil Nadu. SCAD team of 400 volunteers reached the Tsunami affected area within 5 hours of the disaster where scores of dead bodies were cleared from the debris of the tsunami affected villages. In order to curtail the spread of communicable diseases, immunization camps were organised in the Tsunami affected villages. SCAD provided food, water, medicines, mats, bed sheets and clothes for 40,000 victims. Over 40,000 people were given medical care and treatment. Trauma Counseling Teams were sent by SCAD to all the Tsunami affected villages where nearly 1,500 people were counseled. Furthermore 1,000 cattamarams, boats and engines were repaired and handed over to the affected people. 75 Medical Camps were conducted for thousands of affected people.
Educational institutions which Dr. Babu has established in chosen areas provide quality bachelor/ master degree programmes in engineering, technical education, teacher education , teacher training, special education, therapy training, etc. The principle of “Reaching the Unreached” is a testament gradually changing the educational status of the State. Children from SCAD working villages are given priority and free education. Bursaries are provided to the needy students and the differently abled students are provided with barrier free environment. As such, Dr. Babu has touched upon ‘all segment of society’ and was conferred with the prestigious “Government of Tamil Nadu Award for the Best Institution in recognition of exemplary service for Social Work and Disability Care 2015” by the Hon. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Selvi J. Jayalalithaa at the 69th Independence Day Function at Fort St. George in Chennai on15th August 2015, praising his commendable service rendered for rural development and development of the differently abled in Tamil Nadu. From child care to elder care, womb to tomb, Dr. Babu has been mindful and concerned of all sectors and well deserves the award. Dr. Babu has vowed to continue his passion and mission till his last breath.