Save a Family Plan (SAFP) is a voluntary organization dedicated to the development of poor and downtrodden people. It helps to address the basic individual and community needs of the poor such as shelter, employment, sanitation, environmental conservation, gender equality, etc. Under this Plan, the Kottar Social Service Society has been providing sustainable financial and other assistance to the poor widows and destitute women within the jurisdiction of Kottar Diocese.

Objective
To facilitate the families of poor widows and destitute women towards self sustainability

Core Activities

• Identification and adoption of poor widows and destitute women having children below 13 years of age
• Imparting training including entrepreneurial development programmes to upgrade their skills to take up income generating activities
• Inculcating in them the habit of thrift and small savings
• Motivating them to take up income generating activities by providing seed money/ loan
• Monitoring and guiding their activities regularly
• Providing financial support for the children of beneficiaries to pursue higher education
• Facilitating the beneficiaries to avail benefits under the various Government schemes
• Arranging annual get together

Impact of the Programme

• Many of the beneficiaries have taken up income generating activities such as petty shop, tailoring, milk vending, sale of saris and ready made garments, embroidery work, coconut leaf thatching, rearing of milch cattle, goat rearing,  etc., and attained economic prosperity
• There is significant improvement in the socio-economic status of the beneficiaries.
• All the beneficiaries have attained social empowerment and self confidence

Challenges

• Diversion of the seed money provided to beneficiaries for other purposes
• Lack of marketing facilities for marketing the produce of the beneficiaries
• Dissatisfaction and agitation of beneficiaries when the monthly assistance is stopped after six years