Kalam Award for Quality of Life Improvement 2016-17. Citation Mrs.N.Radha, the Founder/Director of LEAD.

Mrs.N.Radha of LEAD presented with KALAM AWARD

Mrs.N.Radha, the Founder/Director  of LEAD – League for Education & Development, Trichy with her team started LEAD 30 years ago and she believes that  participation of people in their own development process empowers them. The first ever work that made a mark in the history of LEAD was the liberation of 32 bonded quarry workers in Trichy District. Fighting for freedom gave them immense courage and LEAD has always raised its voice against atrocities on women, child labour, female infanticide and foeticide. They have made a mark for ourselves in taking up issues like liberation of panchami land for dalits, elimination of child labour and promotion of child rights, fighting for rights of disabled. In the area of development of women, livelihood promotion of women with the perspective of gender and empowerment is the major programme in which her team is involved. LEAD’s team taught the community about afforestation, natural resource regeneration, digging drinking water bore wells, hand pump repair and maintenance, watershed development, herbs and raising of herbs etc, and developing other social skills such as organizing groups/community, understanding group process, participatory rural appraisal, communication and animation, understanding of gender and development etc. It is also evolving land based livelihood strategies for women. The ‘rights’ perspective developed further to include struggling for the rights of Dalit women, children (especially working children) and differently abled. LEAD has added People Living with HIV/AIDS, female sex workers and transgender into the fold of our constituency is the person behind the entire works of LEAD with her Board and Staff. The South Zone Board of Continuing Education recognizes the outstanding services of Mrs.N.Radha through LEAD.

The South Zone Board of Continuing Education takes pride in conferring upon   Mrs.N.Radha, Founder/Director, LEAD, the Quality of Life Improvement Kalam Award for the year 2016-17 and the same is presented on 25 th September 2017 at Kalai arangam Triumanamandapam, Trichy on the occasion of International Literacy Day Celebration.