For 60 years, CRS has worked in solidarity with the people of India . Since 1946, when CRS provided emergency food relief during the Bombay famine, CRS has rooted partnerships and programming across all of India's states, collaborating alongside families, communities, government leadership and the Church to promote the well-being and dignity of those who are in greatest need.
Today, the footprint of CRS India is demonstrative of the one human family we represent and serve in our daily work. Our richness is grounded in the talented and tireless CRS India staff of 200 from all parts of the country; strengthened alongside more than 2,500 partners at the frontlines of life-changing work; and reflective of the empowerment of millions of people across 24 states as they take part in rebuilding their future, and making a world of difference.
CRS India Programs
Microfinance: Self-help groups link women in rural communities to banks for credit services, and promote women's empowerment. They provide a positive, beneficial way to overcome discrimination that, for so long, has restricted women's rights and opportunities for development. Presently, CRS partners are supporting 24,710 self-help groups with more than 335,492 members.
Disaster Management: CRS partners are working with local governments, self-help groups, and other community groups to improve community response time to natural disasters and reduce vulnerabilities to disasters. CRS responded immediately with life-saving food, medicine, shelter and other resources after the December 26, 2004 tsunami, the August 2005 floods in Mumbai and Gujarat, and the October 8, 2005 earthquake in Kashmir. In 2005, CRS supported 167 disaster assistance programs with funding and 200 metric tons of food directly benefiting 1,187,579 people.
Education, Child Labor and Trafficking in Persons: CRS supports partner organizations to rescue children from labor and trafficking and place them in residential bridge schools. After the completion of these residential bridge school courses, children are mainstreamed into regular schools. In 2005, CRS supported 127 education programs with funding and 14,287 metric tons of food which directly benefited 383,728 children.
Community Health: CRS programs help communities improve their basic health systems by training providers, distributing medical supplies, rehabilitating medical facilities, and enhancing sanitary conditions with clean water systems and education. In 2005, CRS supported 73 health programs with funding and 15,252 metric tons of food which benefited 580,000.
HIV/AIDS: CRS HIV/AIDS programs are targeted at the rural and urban populations with the greatest risk of acquiring and spreading HIV. CRS supports awareness campaigns that inform high risk groups about the disease and try to reduce the discrimination felt by people living with HIV/AIDS. Through our partners, we also provide medical care and support to infected people. In 2005, CRS supported 34 HIV/AIDS-related programs that assisted 664,729 people.
Agriculture: CRS helps communities increase their own food production by distributing seeds and tools to farmers. CRS organizes groups of people to establish community watershed projects. CRS also teaches innovative farming techniques such as double cropping and pisci-farming. In 2005, more than 290,920 farmers took part in CRS agriculture programs. CRS supported 73 programs with funds and 6,331 metric tons of food.
Humanitarian Assistance and Peacebuilding: CRS partnerships seek to disrupt the cycle of aggression that leads to religious-, caste-, and gender-based conflict by encouraging disparate groups to work together on community projects. CRS' local partner organizations mediate disagreements and head off potential clashes. In 2005, CRS supported 43 humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding programs with funding and 6,266 tons of food, benefiting 470,949 people.
Partnership All of CRS/India's work is based upon the principle of subsidiarity. CRS believes that those who are most affected by a problem should make the decisions on and implement the programs that serve them. CRS' partnerships are founded on a shared vision of reaching the most vulnerable families, and ensuring transparent and sound stewardship of resources. Effective delegation of authority and decision-making ensures that communities take the lead role in the success of their programs.
