About us
WEEDS is a secular and non-profit organization started in 1989 to address inherent social problems through a powerful and democratic way which was known as voluntary development activities of downtrodden people. At the end of that decade the oppressed Dalit and poor women of Mangadu area were organized under the banner of “Keezhmaanagar Mahalir Munnettra Sangham” and slowly we started to work with nearest village and district because same kind people live in the nearest area. In the year 1996 the name was changed to “Women Education and Economic Development Society (WEEDS)”. We believe that society develops only when women get equal opportunity to establish themselves financially and socially. We work for Women Empowerment, Children development and Community Development.
WEEDS also works for Development for children in the community through education scholarships for students, school kits distribution and housing projects for below poverty level families. We are giving counseling to the students who are having psycho-social issues in school.
From the year 1989 till 2000, in the initial stage WEEDS was working towards social justice action where we worked on women rights and awareness creation. Later, we felt that working for women rights and awareness alone won’t develop women in the society. So from 2000 we started working for the development of women through various programs like Women Entrepreneurship Training, Skill development training where we are running our tailoring unit, Self Help Group activities & Bank Linkage program, Awareness on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal Act, 2013).
Currently we are having 1400 self-help groups formed. Through this group we are directly supporting the family for finance, education for the children, addressing the family issues and legal support. We are forming a women federation group in four districts and plan to start livelihood activities through the federation like tailoring unity, dairy farming, aari & embroidery and organic cultivation.