The Manigandam Panchayat Education Village Development Project, a registered society, was founded in 1976 by a Holy Cross priest named Fr. Mathew Kanathukattu. The aim of the project is to reach out in a very special way to village people to educate them and assist them in the process of their personal and social development. To achieve these aims, this society oversees the running of village schools and their programmes. It also includes a village development programme that helps village people to help themselves in bettering the conditions of their lives. It helps people to become aware of their particular problems and to find solutions to them through team-work, collaboration, eradication of illiteracy, and attitudinal changes. Thus, sessions are given to simple people on a regular basis in order to motivate them for bringing about a transformation of themselves and the society in which they live. The society also runs different training-cum-production centers in different skills in order to give employment to the unemployed, uneducated youth, physically handicapped, widows and destitute of the various villages under its purview.

Soon after being ordained a priest, Fr. Leonard Fernando was actively involved in the Slum Development Scheme in Bangalore at which time he was in direct contact with economically backward people and he helped them to help themselves through various programmes of conscientization and self-development. Presently, he continues his ministry in Trichy and its surrounding areas where he maintains close contact with people at the grassroots with the aim of social transformation. His writings have been strongly supporting the cause of the oppressed sections of the society. His activities today centre around protecting human rights and empowering youth and women by organizing them into movements.