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About Us

Karwar Diocesan Development Council is an official organ of the Catholic Diocese of Karwar to carry out the socio-economic development of the people of Uttar Kannada District, Karnataka State, India, irrespective of caste, creed or community. It was set up on 2nd February 1978 to materialize the dream of restoring human dignity of the poor and the marginalized. KDDC has legal status as it is registered under Karnataka Societies Registration Act of 1960.

With a vision to “establish a society of Justice, Peace and Love,” which contributes to human happiness, by way of cooperation, collaboration, participation, partnership and nation building, the organization

has ventured into all possible ways and means to bring an integrated development in the lives of the poor and the marginalized especially the women and children, and thereby building rural infrastructure and causing social change.

With a view to materialize its vision, KDDC has taken up the following burning social issues aimed at Integrated Rural Development. 

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
-Mother Teresa

With a view to materialize its vision, KDDC has taken up the following burning social issues aimed at Integrated Rural Development.

  • Conservation of natural resources like water soil and forest
  • Health and hygiene such as sanitation facilities to women, Gobar Gas, Smokeless Ovens etc.
  • Self governance through Panchayat Raj Training
  • Child development and child rights promotion by preventing child labourers through Sponsorship Programme
  • Formal and non-formal education to children
    Leadership development,
  • Employment Promotion and Govt.
  • Schemes for youth
  • Human resource development
  • Entrepreneurship development
  • Skill development
    Income generation
  • Empowerment of women through formation of self help groups
  • AIDS awareness programme
  • Care & Support to PLHAs
  • Alcoholic Anonymous (A A Group)
  • Rehabilitation of alcoholics
  • Basic human needs etc.
  • Rural infrastructure development
  • Empowerment of the differently abled people
  • Empowerment of the aged
    Rescue, relief and
  • Rehabilitation of victims of natural calamities

To date KDDC has 726 Self Help Groups with over 11,500 members, 74 Grass Root Level Women Federations, 6 Taluk Level Women Federations, 1 District Level Women Federation and 8 Youth Federations. The overall indirect beneficiaries of the organization are over 3,50,000.

The volunteers and the community development workers working for the organization, every day venture into the most backward villages and make an intervention in the lives of the socially and economically disadvantaged women and children of those villages to bring about rural development and social change with sustainable development systems.

Apart from the social aspects, K.D.D.C. has also intervened in the lives of the youth through a Rural Industrial Training Institute called “Asha Kiran” at Dandeli established in the year 1996 and in the lives of the handicapped children through a Residential School for the Hearing Impaired children called “Asha Niketan” at Karwar established in the year 1996.

Asha Kiran Rural Industrial Training Institute imparts quality technical education in the trades of Fitter, Electrician and Welder for economically backward youth of the district with hostel facility. Every year nearly 100 youth pass out of the institute equipped with skills to stand on their own legs and support their families and the society at large. 

Asha Niketan Residential School for the Hearing Impaired has been established for the rehabilitation, care and upbringing of the hearing & speech impaired children. The school educates and trains children from the age of 3 to 18 years, irrespective of caste and creed, so as to prevent them from being marginalized but make them useful and productive members of the society.

At present a total of 65 children both boys and girls are enrolled and accommodated in this school. They are being provided with food, clothing, medical and school needs in addition to their special education through group hearing aids with loop induction system and other therapies which empower them to lead a socially effective life in the community.

These activities of KDDC are entirely supported by the contributions/donations from the enlightened and philanthropic citizens, organizations and agencies.

Out of the total population of 14,36,000 of the Uttar Kannada District, nearly 60% of the people form the mass who fall under Below Poverty Line (BPL). As mentioned above, KDDC through its concentrated and widespread activities could intervene in the lives of about 26% of population who fall under BPL and much has yet to be achieved.