SANGAMAM Extension Project of Stella Maris College, reaches out to the fishing communities located in north Chennai. Since its inception in 1992, the project has expanded its activities and deepened its commitment, with a special focus on the holistic development of the children of the fishing community.

The main objectives  of the project are to:

• Create awareness on child labour issues in the community
• Provide education and life-training skills through transit school children, child labourers and other influential groups
• Develop a link between the community, parents, children and the transit schools.

SANGAMAM Extension Project of Stella Maris College is currently focused on consolidating and creating community-based organizations to mitigate the problems of children. Focusing on child rights and child protection, the project covers a gamut of needs for the children of the community, ranging from health, to education to protection from abuse. In order to create a ‘No child labour zone‘ the project networks with the local government and schools. The project further envisages creating formal and stable organizations of children and women, developing opportunities for the differently abled, and producing a set of experiential training modules for holistic child development, specific to this fishing community.

SANGAMAM Extension Project of Stella Maris College regularly organizes programmes for children, women, adolescent girls, the physically challenged, transgenders and trainees in the field of Social Work. The project also organizes ongoing entrepreneurial programmes in tailoring, hand embroidery, beauticians courses, fabric painting and candle making.

SANGAMAM Extension Project of Stella Maris College serves as a service-learning / field work agency for students of the college, as well as students from various other Schools of Social Work in the city. The community-based initiatives of SANGAMAM Extension Project of Stella Maris College have impacted not only city students, but also social work students from Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK, who are on a regular placement at SANGAMAM Extension Project of Stella Maris College through the undergraduate department of Social Work.

The project, which is largely funded by Caritas India, networks with Caritas India, the Corporation of Chennai, the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, the Women’s Development Corporation, the local Panchayat, community based organizations, Arunodhaya, Karunalaya, Saral, Anbu Ilam, Sneham, Cdot, Cdaws,Sadhan Clinic, the Jain Trust, the Xavier Medical Trust and Snegithan.