Community Organisation for Social Transformation Trust - COST Trust

The COST Trust operates a Primary Health Centre and Charity Hospital at its main center. Each year, it serves approximately 15,000 families from 25 villages through Hans Medical Services, Rural Health Centers, Nutritional Supplementary Food, and Health and Hygienic Awareness Training, with support from The Hans Foundation. The Rural Primary Health Centre caters to 80-100 patients daily.

Bringing quality healthcare to remote rural and tribal communities, this initiative extended its services to a population of 25,000 individuals across four blocks spanning 100 villages.
The Mobile Clinic Medical Team is composed of a doctor, a qualified and experienced staff nurse, a pharmacist, and a lab technician, ensuring the delivery of primary care directly to the doorsteps of residents in rural and tribal areas.

COST Trust offers a range of educational programs to support underprivileged children in challenging circumstances, which include:
1. Pre-School for the age group 3-5 years
2. Non-formal education for children who do not attend regular schools
3. Evening school for school-going children
4. Education for dropout children
These programs target underprivileged children facing difficult situations, including those from families with limited means, child laborers, children affected by HIV/AIDS, those with disabilities, tribal and rural children. Special emphasis is placed on promoting education for girls and women, aiming to empower them and their families. Over 2,500 underprivileged children have benefited from these programs.

COST Trust has collaborated with the SELAVIP Foundation to offer basic and dignified housing to homeless, impoverished families. This initiative is designed to help break the cycle of poverty.
As a result of this partnership, 125 new homes have been built for some of the most disadvantaged families. COST Trust works to ensure that communities have access to clean water, sanitation facilities, healthcare services, and engage in awareness-raising efforts to improve overall well-being.

The objective of this initiative is to empower impoverished women in cattle rearing, income generation, skill development, employment training, and promoting equal rights and opportunities. The ultimate goal is to foster a society that is free from gender discrimination and violence.
Key activities
1. Self-help groups: COST Trust trains and organizes tribal and rural women, encouraging them to form a federation network for mutual support and growth.
2. Counselling and support for widows: COST Trust provides assistance to women in dire situations, offering both emotional support and nutritional supplements in tribal and rural areas.

The objective is to provide nutritional food to hungry tribal families, with a particular focus on securing a healthier future for children and women.
The community food bank relies solely on the dedicated efforts of the staff and the generosity of well-wishers who support the organization.

During the lockdown in India, COST Trust provided essential support to various groups in need. It distributed food material kits, groceries, vegetables, masks, and sanitizers to daily wage laborers, migrant workers, elderly tribal individuals, and those facing health challenges. It also ensured that nutritional supplements reached tribal families.
It made a concentrated effort to support transgender individuals in the Dindigul District who were affected by COVID-19.

Each year, COST Trust plants 1,200 tree saplings in 100 villages, involving children and youth associations.
It conducts environmental awareness training sessions for women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and farmers on a regular basis. These trainings are guided by and refer to Leisa India Agriculture Newsletter from Bangalore. University experts provide the target groups with training on subjects like climate change, environmental forestry protection, and biodiversity. This program has benefitted more than 6,000 individuals.

During times of significant natural disasters, COST Trust has extended its support to the affected population by providing medical assistance and relief materials. With the generous grant from THF, it supplied flood relief materials to families affected by the floods in Cuddalore.
It organized free medical camps that operated for 25 days in the affected villages, benefiting more than 5,000 families. These families received relief materials including items such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, mats, blankets, mosquito nets, and more. The medical team provided medical support to over 10,000 individuals.

With the support of the local parish, five solar street lighting systems have been installed in tribal villages, benefiting the underprivileged communities. These solar streetlights serve a dual purpose by providing lighting for children's education and enhancing protection against forest elephant attacks in these areas.