The Widows Livelihood Rights Association

The Widows Livelihood Rights Association In the process of empowering the members of Kalangarai-sponsored micro-credit self-help groups, a movement was launched under the banner ‘Movement for the Livelihood Rights of Widows & Deserted Women. The movement had its birth at the International Women’s Day Conventions organized in March 2007. The members of the Movement proposed … Read more

Educating the Next Generation

Educating the Next Generation The plight of the widowed and deserted women affects the well-beng and the future of their children. St. Joseph’s Community College – Technical Institute Campus Realizing the importance of skill training for the future employment of disadvantaged young adults, Kalangarai established a community college in 2005. The first students were survivors … Read more

Establishing New Asset-Building Enterprises

Establishing New Asset-Building Enterprises Women’s Innovation Social Entrepreneurship (WISE) Social entrepreneurs have been referred to as “change agents” and “innovators.” Simply stated, social entrepreneurs engage in businesses to advance a social or environmental cause or address a social need. Partnering with Global Green Growth Group, the first project of the WISE program was producing basil … Read more

Micro-credit Self-help Groups

Micro-Credit Self-Help Groups One of Kalangarai’s first programs is based on the Grameen Bank system of microcredit and microfinance concepts. According to this system, loans are given to entrepreneurs who are too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. These loans enable them to start a business (e.g. purchase cows, goats, or other farm animals, … Read more

Meet the Board—old

Meet the Board Karen Kayser, Founder and Board Chair While on faculty at Boston College, Karen led groups of social work students on service-learning trips to the region of India that was most devastated by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Kalangarai, an ngo established by a group of Jesuits, hosted the students and provided an educational … Read more

History of Kalangarai

History of Kalangarai Kalangarai (which means “lighthouse” in English) is a non-governmental organization (ngo) established after the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. Within days of the Tsunami, a group of Jesuits arrived to Nagapattinam on the southeast coast of India which was the area of India most devastated by the Tsunami. They conducted a needs … Read more

Friends of Kalangarai

Friends of Kalangarai Friends of Kalangarai, Inc is a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit that was established in 2016. Its mission was (and continues to be) to support community-based programs working to enhance dignity, self-reliance, and the well-being of widow-headed families in South India. These community-based programs are implemented by Kalangarai which is a non-governmental organization (NGO) … Read more