Dr Cletus and Amali Babu

Dr Cletus Babu, the founder and chairman of Social Change and Development, was keen to help those in need from a young age. After graduating from university, he worked as a Catholic priest for seven years in southern Tamil Nadu before leaving the church to start a new job as a social worker. Read more about Cletus’s story…

Social work led to the birth of SCAD

Acutely aware of the need for change, it wasn’t long before Cletus started his own social development programmes in the small town of Cheranmahadevi in 1985. Cletus married Dr Amali Cletus Babu in 1988 and they have been on a lifelong journey ever since, assisting in poverty alleviation for the marginalised rural communities of the Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts.

Outside reconignition

Our work has won acclaim for its positive impacts both in Tamil Nadu and further afield. Cletus was given the national level award for Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 2005.