Who We Are
Loyola Extension Services (LES) was established in 1986 as a Centre of Outreach of Loyola College of Social Sciences, Trivandrum. The ultimate objective of LES is to function as a field laboratory where the classroom concepts and theories of social sciences can be field-tested.
Our Core Objectives
- Enable individuals, groups, and organizations to be more efficient in their respective fields.
- Undertake Training, Research, and Consultancy services on areas of current social significance.
- Provide counseling services, legal guidance on family welfare, and rehabilitation programmes.
- Involve in field-level action research, social action, and development programmes.
- Play an active advocacy role on social issues, especially for the marginalized.
50 Years of Legacy
Even before its formal establishment, LES initiated community action projects such as adult education and literacy campaigns. In the late 1980s, its community engagement spread wide and far across Kerala. One of the notable initiatives was its involvement in the Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP) in Malappuram district, one of the most backward districts at that time.
The success in Malappuram motivated LES to adopt urban slums in Trivandrum (Pattom Kesavadasapuram). From the early 90s, LES intensely engaged in those areas with MSW students. The success in incrementally eradicating poverty motivated government agencies to scale up this initiative as a pan-Kerala model. The subsequent joint deliberations led to one of Kerala’s greatest legacies in women empowerment: Kudumbasree.