About Us

Established in 1977 by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation

Good Shepherd Health Education Centre and Dispensary (GSHEC) is a Non-Governmental Organization based at Karamadai, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, South India. It has been working for the Welfare and upliftment of the downtrodden people through Sustainable Development Programs.

Established in 1977 by the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, the organization was registered as a charitable society under Tamil Nadu societies Registration act in the year 1981. In 2005, the branch Karunya Social Centre was established in Valparai to enhance the living qualities of mostly tea puckers in the hill area.

Initially the Centre concentrated purely on the health needs of the people, but in the later years it has expanded its services. Now there are activities in social empowerment, political empowerment, economic empowerment and literacy programmes.It focuses mainly on Rural Development interventions with a specific emphasis on women and children. The work with vulnerable communities is irrespective of caste, creed and religion. GSHEC follows the belief that instead of giving fish, it is a lot more helpful to teach the target group how to catch the fish. So they shifted their concentration from relief activities to developmental activities. All the developmental activities planned thereafter were focused on the sustainability of the outcomes and the maintenance of impact. GSHEC could establish a great rapport with all the communities where they have worked over these years.

The services by GSHEC were able to change the sophisticated mindset of the uncivilized people. Now they stand in front of the society with a newly gained sense of pride.