New hospital & mobile clinic

In order to help uplift the Dalit people, we are planning to construct a hospital and run a mobile clinic so that we can provide better health services to the poor and needy. We wish to provide free or affordable healthcare to Dalits and poorer communities. They are often exploited by doctors who perform unnecessary and costly tests that cost more than the Dalits could ever afford.

This will require the purchasing of land as well as building costs. Click here for more information about this huge undertaking.

Church/Community Hall:

Due to cyclone damage, the church and community hall of Nazareth Ministries collapsed and although we have started we have not been able to complete construction of a new church for lack of funds. Now we are finding it difficult to conduct worship services for the Light of Love Home children and the leper community. We are praying to construct a church to accommodate 1,000 people that also serves as a community hall to conduct worship services, children's programs, youth retreats, pastors' retreats and other programs with an estimated cost of $50,000.

Help for Elderly/Lepers/AIDS sufferers

NASA is financially supporting 350 HIV/AIDS sufferers in the Tuni area but due to lack of funds another 150 infected people remain without any financial assistance.

We would like to help more elderly people, HIV/AIDS and leprosy patients. By donating $5 per month sponsors can redeem these unfortunate people from the stigma attached to their disease.

They need one Rehabilitation Centre to deal with their emotional and psychological problems so that they may live peaceful and serene lives in the loving presence of God.

Dalit Empowerment:

In many villages Dalits are still not allowed to enter temples and they are discriminated against as untouchables. Savage attacks and killings of Dalits are seen daily in the newspapers. NASA has been a leading organization in Dalit community development programs for two decades. We need support for community organization for Dalit empowerment so that these people can claim their rightful place in society.

Economic Empowerment of Women

Empowering women economically is essential to Dalit women's emancipation in the family and wider society.  The micro-credit programme, which is promoted by the government as a way for empowerment of women, is a powerful tool for the Dalit women to access credit to meet their basic, familial and entrepreneurial needs. The promotion of micro-credit through the Micro-credit Programme (MCP) is one of the flagship initiatives of NASA.

Micro-credit program - MACS

Dalit women are exploited doubly as women and Dalit women. They are exploited by moneylenders and the rich. For instance, a woman may borrow Rs. 80 ($2) from a moneylender and the moneylender collects Rs. 100 ($2.5) as repayment at the end of the day. To redeem these women from the clutches of loan sharks, NASA motivated about 10,000 women to form into 4 "MACS" (Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies). These MACS are providing assistance of $100,000 to their members. Each member can be provided $50-$250 to run their small enterprises. NASA is working on reaching 50,000 women.

Success Story

Srimati Vipparthi Surayamma is a Dalit woman who previously lived below the poverty line with her family, migrating from place to place for work, borrowing money from moneylenders at exhorbitant rates to pay for her children's education.

She joined a local SHG and got loans from banks, MACS and a local government organization (Velegu) and she started a vegetable business. She cleared all her family's debts and she provided for her son's education. Now he has completed his Bachelors degree in Education and passed the entrance examination to become a teacher. Mrs. Surayamma achieved self sustainability through her SHG and MACS.  Moreover. NASA provided educational support for her son.

Success Story

In the SR Peta of Kotannduru mandal, the members who had a little knowledge of leaf plate making took up training in the skill with the help of NASA.  After the training, they availed loan of Rs. 10000/- for production of leaves and their sale within the village.  After the success in this venture they secured a further loan of Rs 50000/- from the MACS for higher production and sale at the mandal level.  The enterprise has enabled the members’ livelihood and social status has increased considerably.  This situation is a sharp contrast from their pre-NASA period of working as daily wagers in the hands of the landlords.

Land

Land plays a vital role in any society. Though Dalits toil on the land, they are deprived of owning their own land. NASA has been motivating landless, oppressed communities to acquire and develop lands. So far, our people have acquired and developed about 22,000 acres of land, and still there is more than 50,000 acres available to acquire and develop. To develop two acres of land for one family we need Rs.2500 ($50). With that, we can provide self-employment and that leads to self-sustainability.