Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS)
The primary objective of the PACS project (Oct 05 - Dec 07) is to strengthen the awareness and capabilities of poor people to demand and use their rights - political, economic, social and human - and services to improve their own lives. The programme seeks to achieve this through a network of Civil Society Organisation working for the poor.

This HelpAge India project is designed to raise awareness amongst the older persons on the relevant rights and social welfare schemes and facilitate access to the same in some of the most backward districts of India. The project is being implemented in partnership with local Civil Society Organizations.

A number of Central and State government schemes have been devised to mitigate problems faced by the aged, ranging from pensions to medical aid, travel concessions, preferential interest rates. Further, the destitute aged also qualify as potential beneficiaries of a slew of poverty reduction/ relief schemes. But there is very little mass awareness on the same. Benefits of the scheme rarely ever reach the aged if they are poor and illiterate, if they live in remote backward regions and if they belong to socially oppressed communities.

The prevalent poor structures of communication, implementation and enforcement have exacerbated the problem of accessibility to these schemes and services. In addition, older persons rarely receive support from panchayats and other formal political institutions; and there are virtually no associations/ institutions working for their interests at the local level.