News

New Challenge: Hand in Hand's School Programme is taken to Urban Slums

24 March 2009. CHENNAI.
In a significant first, Hand in Hand has taken its child labour elimination and education programme to urban slum children. A Residential Bridge Camp (RBC) was inaugurated at Semmancheri on 13 March 2009, our fifth residential school, but the first for out-of-school children from urban slums.

New Challenge: Hand in Hand’s School Programme is taken to Urban Slums

Hand in Hand goes to Brazil

25 February 2009. CHENNAI.
In an exciting new development in South-South collaboration, Hand in Hand has signed an agreement with Visão Mundial (World Vision), Brazil, to launch a joint project for poverty reduction. The project will work in partnership with Agência Nacional de Desenvolvimento Microempresarial (ANDE) in North-Eastern Brazil.

Hand in Hand goes to Brazil

Award for Hand in Hand's SHG programme

23 February 2009. CHENNAI.
NABARD, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, India, has awarded Hand in Hand the First Prize in the NGO category for excellent performance in the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme in Tamil Nadu for 2007-08.

Award for Hand in Hand's SHG programme

Hand in Hand Partnership with the United Nations

17 February 2009.
We are proud to announce that Dr Barnevik, Chairman of Hand in Hand International, 10 February 2009 received a formal acknowledgement from the UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon, confirming Hand in Hand's partnership with the United Nations Office for Partnership in support for the Millennium Development Goals. The UN Secretary General expresses gratitude for Hand in Hand's creativity in exploring dynamic and new mechanisms in fighting extreme poverty and achieving development goals.

300 Panchayats declared Child Friendly

16 February 2009. KANCHEEPURAM.
Hand in Hand has succeeded in creating 300 "Child Friendly Panchayats" in Kancheepuram district. These 300 Panchayats were honoured in a special ceremony on 13 February 2009.

300 Panchayats declared Child Friendly

IT Comes to the Villages

31 January 2009. KANCHEEPURAM.
To train 3,000 rural women in computer application is not a simple task. But that is exactly what Hand in Hand has set out to do with the support of the Indian government. In an exciting new partnership, the Ministry of Information & Communication Technology is sponsoring an ICT project in six districts of Tamil Nadu.

New Hand in Hand film

Watch our new film – either here on our website, or on YouTube.

Hand in Hand - YouTube

Flash Report – March 2009

Self Help Groups and Microfinance  
Self Help Groups 28,098
Members in Self Help Groups 406,133
Family-based micro-enterprises started and/or strengthened 221,594
Medium-sized enterprises 906
Credit disbursed through Hand in Hand INR 1,023 million
Credit disbursed through banks INR 867 million
Total credit disbursed INR 1,890 million
Repayment rate 99,74 percent
Child Labour  
Children enrolled in regular schooling and maintained 30,151
Child labour free panchayats 360
Children in Hand in Hand run schools and centres 31,003
Citizens' Centres  
Citizens' centre enterprises and computer-aided enterprises 1,502
Health  
Beneficiaries of medical camps 109,904
Toilets constructed 2,028
Environment  
Households covered by waste collection 81,149
Vermi-compost enterprises 54
Human Resources  
Full-time employees 2,962
Part-time employees as teachers 1,550
Volunteers in "Rights Protection Committees" 26,821
Geographical Presence  
Districts in Tamil Nadu 13
States in India Five
Countries India, South Africa, Afghanistan
 

Good Results from the Tenth Board Examinations

6 June 2008. KANCHEEPURAM.
The students in the Hand in Hand run transit schools have now received their results from the tenth board examinations. Hand in Hand is proud to announce that all the children "100 percent" passed in four transit schools in Kancheepuram district and in the remaining schools, the results were also good.

World Environment Day

5 June 2008. PERU NAGAR.
On 5 June, Hand in Hand celebrated World Environment Day in Peru Nagar Panchayat. The celebrations started with a mass cleaning of the village roads, tree plantation, and a medical camp. In the evening, the village children, Self Help Group members and Hand in Hand staff organised a rally with slogans about the environment, child labour, and women's empowerment. This was followed by a big function presided by Mr David Raj, District Forest Ranger and the village head. The children showed the audience a folk dance number, ending with a skit on the importance of waste segregation and recycling. Another play demonstrated the importance of toilets in women's day to day life as well as on the evils of alcohol. The World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. It is hosted every year by a different city and commemorated with an international exposition.

SHG Software Launched

5 May 2008. KANCHEEPURAM.
In a first of its kind arrangement, Hand in Hand has developed "Kuzhu Nidhi", an accounting software that also facilitates the grading of Self Help Groups (SHGs), not only by Hand in Hand, but also by the bankers participating in the Hand in Hand SHG-bank linkage programme. The software was launched 5 May 2008 at Hand in Hand's office in Kancheepuram by Sri M S Sundara Rajan, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Bank.

SHG Software Launched

Yoga and Computer Centre Thanks to Kunskapsskolan

28 April 2008. KANCHEEPURAM.
Thanks to the support of students at Kunskapsskolan, Sweden, the Hand in Hand-run Poongavanam Residential School for children who have been working, now has its own Yoga and Computer Centre.

Yoga and Computer Centre Thanks to Kunskapsskolan

Salcomp and Nordstjernan Support Environmental Initiatives

15 April 2008. KANCHEEPURAM.
Salcomp and Nordstjernan through their Indian organisation, Salcomp Manufacturing India Ltd, have partnered with Hand in Hand through an MoU signed on the 15 April 2008 to execute their Corporate Social Responsibility programme in India for the next two years. The partnership was inaugurated in Kolathur village with the presence of the Salcomp board members from Sweden and Hand in Hand representatives.

Salcomp and Nordstjernan Support Environmental Initiatives

Pfizer Supports Hand in Hand for Child Nutrition

29 March 2008. CHENNAI/KANCHEEPURAM.
Pfizer has formalised support to Hand in Hand in implementing a child nutrition project in 100 villages. The grant of INR 3,600,000 (USD 90,000) aims at improving the nutrition status of close to 2,100 malnourished children in Kancheepuram district.

Global Vote for the World's Children's Prize for Rights of the Child (WCPRC)

18-19 March 2008. KANCHEEPURAM.
On 18 and 19 March, Hand in Hand joined over 16 million children in 87 countries across the globe and participated in the Global Vote for the World's Children's Prize for Rights of the Child (WCPRC).

Global Vote for the World Child's Prize for Rights of The Child (WCPRC)

Are you a Graduate Student Looking for an Interesting Summer?

28 Feb 2008. CHENNAI.
Every summer, Hand in Hand offers a four-week internship programme focused on well-defined projects and deliverables. The deadline for applying to this year's programme is 31 April 2008.

600 Million Dollar Program for 2.15 Million Jobs in Afghanistan

25 Feb 2008. KABUL.
A Presidential Initiative for a $600 Million project in Afghanistan has been taken. It is called AREDP (Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Program). This covers 70% of the Afghan villages and aims to create 2.15 million jobs in impoverished rural areas over some seven years.

Appreciation Award for Waste Initiative

26 Jan 2008. KANCHEEPURAM.
An appreciation award was presented by the Collector of Kancheepuram to the Hand in Hand Solid Waste Management team for the successful implementation of solid waste management schemes in various Local Bodies in Kancheepuram District on the Republic Day, 26 January, at a gala function held at the Kancheepuram Collectorate. The award was received on behalf of the Solid Waste Management team by Mr Shiva T Krishnamoorthy.

Appreciation Award for Waste Initiative

Ms Mona Sahlin's Visit to Hand in Hand

18 Jan 2008. CHENNAI/STOCKHOLM.
Party leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Ms Mona Sahlin, visited Hand in Hand during her visit to India, 6-9 January 2008.

Ms Mona Sahlin's Visit to Hand in Hand

New School for Working Children in Vellore

27 Nov 2007. VELLORE/STOCKHOLM.
Thanks to a grant from Radiohjälpen of SEK 250,000, Hand in Hand is able to open a residential school in Vellore for children who have been working.

New School for Working Children in Vellore

IT Ministry gives INR 5,000,000

9 Nov 2007. DELHI/CHENNAI.
The Ministry for Communications and Information Technology has decided to grant Hand in Hand INR 5,000,000 (approximately USD 127,000) for our Citizens' Centre Project.

INR 9,000,000 for Watershed Projects

9 Nov 2007. CHENNAI/KANCHEEPURAM.
Hand in Hand was recently granted INR 9,000,000 (approximately USD 230,000) by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to start four new watershed projects. Each project gives temporary work for 400 villagers.