Youth Engagement & Innovation

Youth Resource Centre (YRC)

CYDA began its engagement with young people in 1999. The aim of this centre is to provide holistic development to youth. The flagship program of CYDA is Youth Resource Centre (YRC). YRC is to develop an understanding on issues on identity-based exclusion, citizenship, SRHR (Sexual and reproductive health and rights), engagement and participation of youth at community level, psycho-social wellbeing, tolerance and harmony. Through the centre we also provide opportunities, skills and knowledge base to develop themselves, hone their abilities and engage in community and social initiatives. Youth Resource Centre is a platform to engage young people, 18 to 24 age group, in multiple programs including youth4change, youth leadership program, internships, exposure, youth networking and building capacities of young people. Thus, it provides conducive learning environment towards growing up the need of youth. To encourage and promote various talents among the youth, this platform provides opportunities to discuss the social issues and challenges faced by youth on a day-to-day basis. It promotes the volunteer engagements through Youth4Change program. Thus, YRC works with the youth through the INSPIRE, INVOLVE and INITIATE stages. Youth Resource Centre of Jay Jawan Nagar Yerawada is main hub where all youth from nearby communities gather and engage in development activities. So far, CYDA reached to half a million young people in the country.

Avaaz Hamari

On 1st August, 2022 CYDA launched Avaaz Hamari campaign at Youth Resource Centre. The main aim of this campaign is to empower young girls to build their capacities which will help them raise their voices for their rights. The campaign will work with girls and young women from the underserved communities of Pune to give them a platform to share their concerns and issues while discussing the possible solutions for the same.

Avaaz Hamari campaign will reach out to 100 girls and young women, work with them and their family for gender sensitization, awareness about women’s rights, life skills development, digital literacy, career guidance and mentoring. This will be a safe space for girls and young women to share their thoughts, discuss various issues, develop life skills and speak up for their rights all in all to create a gender just society which will enable young girls and women to thrive.

Youth4Change

CYDA’s Youth4Change program is geared towards creating young leaders and promote youth initiative and participation centred around issues of SDG’s, gender, climate change and developing local youth initiative and agency through grass root campaigns and advocacy. Youth4Change also works towards creating safer spaces in the communities through creation of collective spaces and engaging with local bodies thus enabling young people exercise their Right to Participation. At present CYDA has 3 Youth4Change groups active through its YRC and CRCs. These groups have participated as volunteers for Road Safety Drives, River Bank Clean Up Drive, Marathons, Pride Walk, Vaccination Drives and many more such activities.

Promoting Innovations

TrashTech: Waste Management of rural communities.

Solid Waste Management is a special focus where the organization has done tremendous work with Public Health Centres, Schools, Communities as well as Ashramshalas, especially on training, capacity building and behaviour change of different stakeholders, supporting government departments in conducting the need assessment and preparation of DPRs and construction of model drinking and institutional sanitation. CYDA has developed one demo village named Visarwadi in Nandurbar block of Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, where variety of interventions for SWM are developed. It is daily processing 300 kgs of wet waste and 200 kgs of dry waste and 100 kgs of Bio-medical waste.

WASH Mitra

Promoting Young WASH Entrepreneurship through training and capacity building is a special focus where the organization has done tremendous work with government schools, Public Health Centres, GP, Communities as well as other institutions, especially on operation and maintenance services. CYDA has developed a WASH Entrepreneurship multi-skilled business model, where varieties of interventions are initiated. Till now, total 81 WASH Mitra’s have been trained on multiskilled trade training (Plumbing, Electrician, Mason, Carpentry, Solar, Water Filter) and they are being successfully running their own business in O&M services by earning better amount as compared to pre-training period. Apart from income, this training helped them to build their personality development skill and to make them multi-skilled in various areas of O&M.

NavaAahar

NavaAahar is a start-up of YouthAid Foundation for promoting healthy, nutritious and ready to cook food, a solution to develop healthy food habit in India. It is a millet based nutritious food solution to malnutrition as well as people who have no time to go to market to procure materials and cooking it. It takes only 5 minutes and your breakfast, lunch and dinner is ready. If there is a guest in the family, it takes only 5 minutes to give them a treat. NavaAahar is available in various types Little Millet Khichdi, Masoor Dal Khichdi, Veg Pulao, Foxtail Millet Khichdi, Little Millet Khichdi and Daliya Upma. NavaAahar is also promoting healthy products of women entrepreneurs from different locations in Maharashtra. They have millet ladoos, khakara, pickles, crusts (papad) of various varieties from different parts of India.

10Stitch

A project promoted towards sustainable income started by CYDA and supported by HCL today has become a household name (i.e.)10 Stitch. In 2019, 10 women underwent training in tailoring. Thereafter, to promote garment production, for sustainable income, these women started working in groups. Towards the end of this project, CYDA transferred the group to YouthAid Foundation.

Scenario turned difficult, due to hit of pandemic and continuous impose of lockdown, the dream to achieve the goal could not be accomplished. During this time, it was CYDA, which was working to support these women. YouthAid Foundation decided to convert this crisis to an opportunity for the women. Online meetings have been held with the women, boosted their confidence and also provided additional training to overcome the challenges. Women started preparing masks, which supported a sustainable income during pandemic under Vastra group. Women stitched two- and three-layered masks and kids masks too and could earn approximately Rs.5000/- every month. Project reached out various agencies by selling 2 lakhs masks.

10 women from Yerawada vicinity, stepped ahead and formed an independent unit with the support of 10 sewing machines. Post pandemic this group produced various good quality products and explored through exhibitions. Confidence and income level of the women gradually increased through this platform. The trade mark of Vastra unit turned to 10Stitch.

On 22^nd October, 2022, 10Stitch studio was launched through a fashion show with first apparel designer. Empowering women has been the mission of YouthAid Foundation since its inception.