Mary Fernandes

Committed Communities Development Trust

Founded in Mumbai in 1990 as a voluntary, secular trust registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act of 1950, Committed Communities Development Trust grew out of the experience of working among a self-settled colony of leprosy patients in Borivili, Mumbai. The knowledge and exposure from this engagement translated into the organizational vision of a society, "where every child counts, where every child lives in dignity." Our foremost partners, who form the core of our interventions, are children. Through engaging with the community, the inalienable context of a child, the organization addresses issues surrounding health, education like skill development & empowerment in a comprehensive manner. Over the years, health and child protection emerged as the major domains of our interventions, with a special focus on vulnerable children and their families. CCDT employs a rights-based approach to empower the most deprived communities, and consequently facilitate sustainable social change. Through knowledge sharing and evidence-based advocacy, CCDT strives to influence state-level policies and practices. CCDT works with Government Allied agencies (MCGM), like-minded organizations including non-profits and corporates towards building self-reliant communities. Our four thematic areas: 1) MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH We link communities with existing government health systems — to ensure safe motherhood and reduce malnutrition — by reaching out to children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHw0PanB60s 2) HIV/AIDS We mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on families and children across every ward in Mumbai city. Through the program affected, infected families are able to access testing, treatment and support services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=QEjyuXik2bY 3) CHILD PROTECTION We safeguard the rights of children in need of care and protection through our Childline program and building safe communities for children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bma01HVqy_Q 4) ADOLESCENT EMPOWERMENT We empower adolescents in the communities we serve to advocate for their rights and basic amenities, and become change agents themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1SIRGzCrsc