The Community Action Programme visits and maintains links with twenty-five local villages (including Chatirathondamanpatti). It provides medical help and health education, as well as helping to build community organisations.

Russ Foundation is keen that its health-related interventions into village life have a community-based and preventative basis. To this end, The Community Action Programme has established a network of 'village-level workers'. Supported by trained nurses, these village members provide education in such matters as child care, AIDS awareness, and preventing waterborne disease. They also help establish and maintain mothers' clubs (women's sangams) and youth clubs.

Medical help is provided by a mobile clinic which operates on a 'outreach' basis and visits each of the villages regularly. The clinic, which is staffed by a doctor and a small group of nurses, prescribe medicines and offer advice to people who would otherwise find it very difficult to travel to the distant hospital. Russ Foundation also runs a savings scheme, with non-punitive credit facilities, for village members.