Targets Groups
Fishermen and Other Working Class
The majority of the population in the target area of TSSS are fisher folk. According to the recent studies fisher folk and the adivasies are the two backward communities in Kerala. Economical, educational and political backwardness leads to social and cultural backwardness. Because of this reason, the issues of fishermen and their families especially that are related to their labour is the major concern of TSSS. The Centre for Fisheries Studies (CFS), an institute and Thiruvananthapuram Mathsyathozhilali Forum (TMF) a Community Based Organization, both are realized by TSSS mainly to address these problems of Fisher folk and to mobilize them for their own wellbeing. CFS is involving in necessary and innovative steps to mobilize the fishermen and make linkage between fisheries departments of State Government
Apart from the fisher folk there are also other category of labours. They engage in the lobours such as cooli works, head load carriers, farmers, construction, quarry workers, carpenters etc. Most of them are unorganized labours. Their life and situation are very miserable. TSSS address their issues through KLM (Kerala Labour Movement)
Women and Children
Women and Children form more than 50% of the total population. In any family, this target group greatly needs the care and protection. The sad fact is that a vast majority of the men and women of this community are not sensitized on gender issues and realities. Women possesses very much low asset ownership and too much loyalty and subjugation of women on men keeps women always under men. Deeper analysis reveals that women are denied equal opportunities and rights. They are not in a position at the moment to identify their needs and work towards establishing their rights due to the discrimination and oppression experienced over centuries. Patriarchal where we live, men have control over resources, decision making and over all aspects of life. It is the responsibility of every one in governments and society to work for gender mainstreaming 'redefining women's and men's involvement in determining who does what, who has the ownership, who has access to education, employment, income, who controls resources and institutions and who makes decisions and who determines priorities.' TSSS has made interventions for the upliftment of women. Through health, awareness, income generation, skill development, cultural development etc. Vanitha Vedi and Fish Vending Women Forum are two Forums (CBOs) functioning under TSSS for their development. TSSS has also established a centre for women empowerment at Vettuthura called Karuna Nivas.
Children are always a weaker section of the society and always subject to exploitation. The issue of children our operational area are child labour, drop outs, malnutrition etc. Children are also lack motivation in social commitment and social relationship with needy and poor. TSSS addresses these issues of this target groups through various programmes such as Balavedi, Child Line, Child Parliament, Nursery programme, Nutrition Programme, Supplementary Education, programme for differently abled children etc…
Dalits
The Dalits is a 'community' 'broken' by the caste phenomenon. Three thousand years have elapsed since the 'Varnashrama dharma 'came to existence and a section of the people are dumped as outcastes. 'Dalit' is the other name to these less privileged people who are termed as 'Untouchables'. Ever since India became independent in 1947, regulations and reservations are made to make changes in the life of this category of population, which in fact could not make much change. Their woes have increased day by day and many of them fall prey to the Bureaucracy, the vicious caste circle and unhealthy attitude of the society towards the Dalits. Dalits suffer from not only social aspect but also political and economic aspects.
The Christians of scheduled caste origin or the Dalit Christians, forming a microscopic minority spread all over India are living amidst the majority society and its traditions. They share every thing in life including atrocities against the low caste that are bound to happen in a society which is said to be a civilized one but actually is a caste - ridden society. The bleeding Christians cry for justice which is denied by the presidential rule of …., that they will be deprived of the reservation of Dalits once they adopt the faith of Christianity. It is sad in this nation which dares to say that justice will be ensured to all irrespective of caste, creed and race. When the religion of a community is changed, the socio – economic condition of the community is not changed, especially regarding the Dalits who have more to loose socially and less to gain. TSSS address their issues through a forum namely DCMS, which has a wider link with DCMS forum of Kerala Catholic Bishop's Conference KCBC.
Other Backward Communities (OBC)
Other than the scheduled cast and scheduled tribe there are certain other backward classes also. They are called Other Backward Communities (OBCs). Such categories of the people are backward socially, economically, educationally and politically. TSSS as the social action body of the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum is looking forward for the welfare of the all the backward sections in general and of the Latin Community in particular, which also one of Other Backward Communities.