YOUNGS INDIA

A BRIEF HISTORY OF 'YOUNGS INDIA' 

'Youngs India' is a Social Welfare Organization, which was started in Nov. 1994 as a small  group of young, vibrant and dedicated volunteers Brought together by a common passion to serve the underprivileged in the society.

2. To work for their social and economic upliftment.

3. To rehabilitate the destitute, affected by natural calamities etc.

4. To provide facilities for the all round education and training

5. To educate people about social hygiene, home management, etc.

6. To remove all social evils.

7. To educate people against drug abuse and to rehabilitated the victims of this social evils.

8. To promote literacy by promoting adult education and by educating the children of the downtrodden.

9. To work for the protection of the environment and for the strict enforcement of anti-pollution laws.

10. To take up with the Govt. and non-governmental organizations the neglected problems of the people.

11. To educate people about sanitary conditions and a healthy way of life.

12. Work  for the general welfare of the society.

13. Arrange for free medical camps with missionary goal.

 With these aims and objectives in view, 'Youngs India' is a torch bearing social-service organization based in Jammu. It has already become a synonym for altruism.

 We started with mundane activities like organizing 'PaintingCompetitions', debates, and such other activities to bring out the latent talent of children. Later, besides continuing with such activities, we shifted our focus to more serious issues like fighting social evils, pollution and above all, the fatal disease AIDS. We consider it our sacred duty to disseminate all the relevant information about the killer disease, AIDS. We were infact, the pioneers of the AIDS awareness campaign in Jammu. In almost every school and college of Jammu, our volunteers educated youngsters about AIDS, Its causes and prevention. Although, 'Youngs India' had been active for a long time, it was registered as a social welfare organizations on January 5th, 1995.

 Since its inception, 'Youngs India' had been  zealously working for social causes despite the fact that it had been facing great difficulties due lack of office accommodation and proper finance.

 In March 1995, Mr. Vivek Raina founder and Director of 'Youngs India' visited the UNICEF Head Office, New Delhi, to meet Dr. Subhash Chander State Representative, UNICEF, New Delhi for help and for discussing the aims and objectives of the organization. Earlier, through their letter No. ONRS/MISC/P.1/95/010 Dt. Feb. 2, 1995 and No. ONRS/MISC/P1/017 Dt. Feb. 23, 1995 UNICEF had expressed their inability to help, but, after the discussion at the meetings with the State Representative of the UNICEF, Mr. Raina was advised to work on the project "Upliftment of the Migrants of J&K", in which the UNICEF in deeply interested. The project was to target mainly the migrant children who are in a trauma and stress.

 It was on the advice of the UNICEF, State Representative that 'Youngs India' visited Migrant Camps in Jammu for the first time on 21.3.95 to get a first-hand knowledge of their problems. The life of migrants was found to be miserable. A detailed survey report was  prepared and sent to the UNICEF Office for consideration. They advised us to prepare a detailed project proposal by taking the following steps :-

1. Develop a Project proposal to improve the condition of migrant
children and women through:

• better schooling,
• improved health services,
• good sanitation/hygiene/clean drinking water,
• income-generating activities for women, and 
• seeking help from other NGO's/experts.

• What the State Government (Relief Deptt) would do,
• What 'Youngs India' would do,
• What the migrant community would do, and
• What others, including the UNICEF would do.

3. The report was to be submitted to the Relief Deptt. and got approved and shared with the UNICEF.

 A final project proposal was submitted to both the UNICEF and the J&K Relief Deptt. But the Relief Commissioner (M) Jammu, through a letter No. RCM/PA/88/81 Dt. 28.10.95 advised 'Youngs India' to redraft the project proposal in order to make it broad-based. So far as the enact nature of 'Youngs India''s activities are concerned; also to be mentioned was the source of our funds, besides the help that might be taken from the State Government, in addition to what the State Government were already doing for the migrant community at
Jammu.

 Finally on 7th January, 1996 'Youngs India' redrafted the project proposal and submitted the same to the Relief Commissioner (M) for further necessary action.

 The Relief Commr. (M) wrote to the State Representative of UNICEF, stating that he appreciated the said proposal for the "upliftment of J&K Migrants" in taking up the activities like education, Medicate and Sanitation, etc. to supplement what the Govt. was already doing. It was not possible for the Govt. The Relief Commr. continued, to provide additional funds to 'Youngs India' as projected by them. However, the Govt. would cooperate and also provide assistance/guidance and other possible facilities as might be requiredfrom time to time on a case-to-case basis.

 The UNICEF approved the project proposed after receiving the report of their consultant and the State-of-preparedness report of the Relief Commr. A UNICEF team including Dr. Subash Chandra, State Representative UNICEF and Mr. Premindra Kundra, Consultant UNICEF, visited Jammu on 4th July, 1996 for consultant and interaction with the Govt.

 The project implementation started at the Mishriwalla Migrant Camp with the following steps :-

• Planting
• Providing children with sports equipments.
• Establishing a Book-Bank mainly for the Young (The members of the organization devoted their  own books besides buying book for them as for this Book-bank.

• Setting up contact center.
• Tree plantation/Environment improvement.

3. Training/orientating.

• Orientation if Govt. functionaries NGO's/Trainers.
• Training of NGO functionaries/volunteer/community leaders.
• Orientation of teachers & creche workers in stress management.

• Institutional latrines.
• Soakage Pits.
• Bathing/Washing platforms at community water points.

6. Social mobilization & Awareness creating.

• Awareness camps of environment sanitation, drugs, HIV/AIDS Gender issues etc.
• Development of IEC material. 

• Sensitization of Govt. functionaries coordination and networking.
• Training of NGO's/representatives from various camp committees.
• Orientation of school teachers and anganwadi workers in the development and use of  teaching/learning aids
• Orientation of school teachers and anganwadi workers/Ngo's in trauma and stress management.
• Training of camp water and sanitation committee and youth representatives in construction use and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities.
• Training of health workers/NGO's/Camp health committee.
• Orientation of parent teachers association representatives.

• HIV/AIDS-, STDs- awareness camp.
• School/anganwadi health check up camp.
• Training and organization of women for employment generation/women group meetings.
• Organization of youth for camp development activities/Youth camps.
• Other IEC meetings (Mother meetings). Meetings with camp  committees etc).
• Development of teaching and learning aids for schools and  anganwari centre.
• Cleanliness drive
• Collection and disposal of garbage.

• Support to family counselling and deaddiction
• Support to the vocational and guidance and training centre help to tone computer institute through NGO rahen for displaced students.
• Support to recreational centre/youth club.
• Improvements of schools and anganwaris.
• Support to Library centres.
• Documentation and request for help to different NGO's and Departments in different capacities and fields.
• Got dustbins from Sampark (A road and Building organisation)
• Got in contact with Nehru Yuva Kendra for help to youth clubs.
• Organized health checks ups in Batra Hospital and through self honorary doctors of organisation.
• Donated lots of medicines.
• Opened Library.
• Organized painting competition, Quiz Competitions etc. gave them certificates.
• Got SNDT University (Home Science Deptt.) students interned in our organization.

5. Also had the same type of construction in village Ranjeetpura Block, Madh Jammu with Rural Development Deptt.

6. Got much work done through helpline cell of ours like providing tents to institutes through Red Cross, Electricity help through Power Commissioner, Extra police help through IGP Jammu etc.

7. Got the washing bathing platforms built near hand pumps.

The  Kashmiri Migrants left their homes and hearths in search of peace, security and safety. The community living in migrants camps posed to them a special set of social, phycological and economic problems.

 Healing the wounds of the uprooted community is a difficult and time-consuming undertaking. Still in recent years we have learnt much about how limited resources can be used to  train local people who can then develop their own community-based approaches to address a catalyst to channelise and mobalise their strengths and resources.

 The migrant camps were planned by the State Govt. as emergency services. Once normalcy and peace were restored in the Kashmir Region, the migrants would go back to their homes. The services provides were, therefore, planned without consulting these people and so one finds a total lack of participation and involvement on the part of the migrants in the  camps.

Edited by : Prof. J. N. Sharma
Principal (Retd.) S. P College, Srinagar.