Women and Child Development Society (WCDS) was established in 2001 in Kalambur village, Polur Taluk, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, after witnessing a common rural challenge: elder girl children staying at home to care for their younger siblings while parents worked as daily laborers. To address this, our first initiative was a community kindergarten that provided early education, nutritious food, and safe daytime care, enabling older girls to continue attending school with dignity.

Between 2002 and 2004, WCDS adopted the first six service villages — including Kalambur, Enduvambadi, Mukkurumbai, and Eluppakunam — and began expanding its outreach through grassroots programs. Today, WCDS works across these adopted villages through education support, women’s skill development, livelihood programs, health awareness, environmental initiatives, and community development.

WCDS has positively impacted more than 1,90,000 lives, creating lasting change among rural children, women, and underserved families.

Awards and Honours

  • Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Excellence Award
  • GNE Award of Excellence 2021 (recognising WCDS among India’s top NGOs)
  • Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa Excellence Award
  • Honorary Doctorate of Humanities awarded to the founder for lifetime excellence in social service

Global Affiliations

  • India Chapter of Purses for a Purpose Inc. (California)
  • Member Organisation of SDSN Youth (Sustainable Development Solutions Network)
  • Onboarding Member of Catalyst Now

About The President

Niveditha Palani is the President of the Women and Child Development Society (WCDS) and a social development professional dedicated to advancing girl child education, women’s empowerment, and rural community welfare. She holds an M.A. in English Literature with University Second Rank in both UG and PG from Thiruvalluvar University and is currently pursuing an MSW from Annamalai University.

She also serves as the India Chapter Liaison for Purses for a Purpose (California), Treasurer of the All India Children’s Welfare Trust (AICWT), Youth Member of SDSN, Onboarding Member of Catalyst Now, Registered Expert with the European Commission, and collaborator with the Gandhi Mandela Foundation. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/niveditha-palani-88aa76332

Our “Women and child Development Society” is a Non-Government Organization. This organization was started in the year 2001. From the year 2002, we selected Kalambur, Enduvambadi, Mukkurumbai and Eluppakunam villages to do social service. We are doing service to the poor girls and women in those villages to raise the standard in their life, in education and in health of those girls and women. Our organization is trying our best to uplift the education, health and standard in life of the people, particularly the poor and illiterate girls and women.