The Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development, known as CORD, is an organization that helps with rural development throughout
India and
South Asia. It is the service wing of
Chinmaya Mission. CORD aims to promote sustainable development in India through activities such as empowering women, helping with
microfinancing
Microfinance is a category of financial services targeting individuals and small businesses who lack access to conventional banking and related services. Microfinance includes microcredit, the provision of small loans to poor clients; savings ...
, and forming ''Mahila Mandals'' or self-help groups. Rather than just giving aid, CORD focuses on helping people by teaching them necessary skills to be self-sufficient and independent.
History
The beginnings of CORD came from the service efforts of
Dr. Kshama Metre, who worked as a doctor in India. Her experience with meeting
Swami Chinmayananda
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati (born Balakrishna Menon; 8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993) was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher. In 1951, he founded Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, in order to spread the knowledge of Advaita ...
inspired her to leave her medical practice and join the
Chinmaya Mission to assist in their work in the rural areas of the country.
Metre set up health centres for women and children in the village of
Sidhbhari,
Himachal Pradesh. In 2003, the service efforts of Chinmaya Mission were merged into the organization CORD, so CORD was born.
References
{{reflist
Rural development organisations in India