Sunday, February 22, 2009

youth enterprise development




“The vision of the Participatory Rural Approach and Youth Amplification for Society is for young people to maximise their participation in development and democracy, shaping the present and the future of their communities and societies.”

The PRAYAS, Jabalpur M.P. to focus on four strategic programme areas: youth enterprise development, youth networks and governance, youth participation, and youth work education and training.
It has pursued this mandate by working at the State level and through region-specific programmes delivered by its local regional centers. These are located in Jabalpur, Bhopal, and Indore.
In pursuit of PRAYAS, JABALPUR objectives, the Secretariat works with member governments and a range of partner institutions, including development agencies and civil society organisations, at all levels of programme and service development and implementation.
Youth enterprise development
The Secretariat’s work in youth enterprise development is concerned with creating employment opportunities for young people as a means of reducing poverty. The PRAYAS, Jabalpur Youth Credit Initiative provides credit, mentorship support and enterprise development training to young people. Over the last two years, the PRAYAS Youth Credit, in collaboration with partners around the india, has enabled the establishment of more than 7o youth-oriented businesses.
The Secretariat has been consulting with the Non Government organizations to implement Youth Credit Imitative. Short-term training in enterprise development was provided in Bhopal in January 2007 as the first phase work there.
Trainers were trained to provide mentorship and training to youth and community-based organisations. The Youth Credit Initiative Centre is working with mobilise credit experts and mentors to work as volunteers in both aspect youth enterprise development and youth networks. Technical assistance was also provided to develop an action plan for the Dominican Youth Business Trust, creating an internet café for young entrepreneurs. In Indore, the Youth Credit Initiative is expanded to include marginalised young people from rural communities also. Young entrepreneurs started 15 micro-businesses after successful completion of YCI training.
Some 150 indigenous young people were trained by PRAYAS, Jabalpur Centre in the implementation of innovative business management strategies, in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
Under the Youth Credit Initiative for the Future initiative, endorsed by PRAYAS leaders in 2008, a new model for utilising enterprise development as a strategy for reducing unemployment and poverty among young people was instituted. The Creating YCI (Youth Credit Initativev) Forum, held in November 2008 in collaboration with the Some Non Governmental Organization of Indore, brought together 150 delegates from 45 member NGOs to develop strategies and programmes to reduce youth unemployment. As a follow-up, short-term enterprise development training projects were held in various components.


ICTs for youth development
Providing access to information and communication technology (ICT) to young people is another YCI strategy to reduce poverty. Established at the Jabalpur, Bhopal and Indore Centers, YCI Technology Empowerment Centers (YCITEC) provide young people with new ICT skills to access markets and improve the operation of their businesses. The project will be expanded to Pakistan during 2007-2008.
More than 3,00 young entrepreneurs in rural area have benefited from ‘YCITEC on Wheels’, a mobile ICT training service.
The new ‘YCI on Line’ project completed its First phase in 2007-2008. It provides an effective method of outreach to YCI’s development partners by enabling young people and organisations from the Technology Empowerment Centers to interact via the internet.
The YCI Centre supported the development of an interactive website and marketing portal launched at the annual meeting of the Consortium of Women Entrepreneurs of India in 2007 to increase the export of products produced by women entrepreneurs.
Youth networks and governance
On the principle that young people have a fundamental right to determine how power and resources are used in their societies, the YCI works to enhance the capacity of young people and youth networks to influence good governance processes at all levels of society.
The YCI collaborates with youth affairs ministries and focal youth organisations to strengthen their capacity to implement the PRAYAS, Jabalpur Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment, which encourages the development and implementation of national youth policies in Madhya Pradesh.
The YCI Bhopal Centre has worked with the NGOs of The Jabalpur .Bhopal and Indore on various aspects of the national youth policy review process. Government and youth NGO officials in the Vindhya and Vidarbh region, trained in youth empowerment and environmental awareness, are now taking on leadership roles in their respective sector. In this sequence a ‘Most Innovative Youth Business’ award was established by the PRAYAS YCI.
Regional refresher courses held in collaboration with the Community College enabled some 25 youth workers from 3 tribal District to enhance their skills and competencies in youth development.
Technical assistance was provided to restructure youth group and networks in Mandla and Dindori Districts, and to the Department of Youth Affairs India towards a national youth policy.
The Prayas YCI Centre facilitated the participation of youth from most tribal District Like Mandla, Didori, Balaghat and Bastar in a review of strategic plans, organised by the
Prayas YCI centre of Bhopal and Indore, to enhance their capacity to deliver quality programmes to young people.
The Youth Development Index (YDI) project focuses on the development of a web-based database system to collate information on youth development. With funding from the Local NGOs of Madhya Pradesh, it will assist to governments and development agencies in developing appropriate youth programmes.
A key component of the YCI’s work is to develop the institutional capacity of national youth councils (NYCs) to enable them to participate in national development and governance processes and the delivery of youth development programmes. The YCI Centre has provided resources to the NGOs of Rural and urban area to establish NYCs, and is currently working with NYCs in Tribal Districts .
The PRAYAS YCI Centre has produced a manual on NYC models in Madhya Pradesh and supported the development of a Disaster Management Coalition in M.P. and an Asian Environment Network.
Youth participation
Young people can realise their potential as active citizens through participation in and contribution to development processes. A key YCI objective is to enhance the leadership capacity of young people and enable them to contribute effectively to combating HIV/AIDS. Under the Young’s for Positive Living programme, young people, many of whom are HIV positive, work as peer educators and counsellors. First implemented in the important region, the programme was expanded to the Bhopal and Indore regions in 2007-2008.
In the PRAYAS YCI Centers, the ‘Play It Safe’ initiative is an innovative project to raise awareness and community action on HIV/AIDS. In Bhopal and the project uses sports that are popular with young people, such as cricket, football and netball, to reach unattached young people in rural communities and encourage their involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The project is also being implemented in All Tribal area of Madhya Pradesh.
A group of young people who are leading the dialogue on HIV/AIDS in the Pacific region participated in a joint study with local NGOs tour programme to assess the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Drivers Conductors and Migrated Labours. The ‘Play it Safe’ programme is now being developed for Slums in the Pacific.
The PRAYAS YCI has strengthened the participation of young people in its own governance processes through their involvement in the meetings of Regional Advisory Boards Executive Committee, and Big Youth Group.
The PRAYAS Youth Caucus and Regional NGOs Youth Caucuses are important elements in YCI’s decision-making process. Caucus members were involved in the development of a Youth Handbook specifying the principles governing their operations. Workshops in Village level also enabled Youth Caucus members to develop strategic plans, review the Youth Handbook and enhance the functioning of the Caucus.
The Regional Youth Caucus in District level established an electronic chat forum for members to communicate on strategic and programming issues. A for Youth Caucus website was also established. Youth Caucus members gained valuable skills on internships at Regional Centres and the Secretariat’s headquarters in Jabalpur M.P.
An adolescent participation project to be implemented in 16 District in M.P was launched in May 2008. A collaborative effort involving Local Youth Groups. The project included the production of a set of ‘how-to’ guides and interactive CDs on adolescent participation in development and decision-making.
The PRAYAS YCI Regional Youth Proficiency Awards programme recognises excellence in contributions to youth development work. In 2007-2008, 38 youth groups received Silver Awards and eight received Gold Awards under the programme.
Youth work education and training
A high priority is developing and promoting the profession of youth work. The PRAYAS YCI offers a Diploma in Youth in Development Work, a Certificate programme and short training courses to equip young people with the skills to implement youth development programmes.
The Diploma programme is now implemented in 42 member NGOs and six out of State territories, delivered through partner institutions. Some students were enrolled in the programme during its first cycle; many NGOs are now in their second or third cycles. The CYP Diploma is recognised as a best practice in both youth work training and continuing education.
Thanks


Anubhav Garg
Director
Participatory Rural Approach and Youth Amplification for Society
Jabalpur M.P.

Opportunities for Young People


“The vision of the Participatory Rural Approach and Youth Amplification for Society is for young people to maximise their participation in development and democracy, shaping the present and the future of their communities and societies.”

The PRAYAS, Jabalpur M.P. to focus on four strategic programme areas: youth enterprise development, youth networks and governance, youth participation, and youth work education and training.
It has pursued this mandate by working at the State level and through region-specific programmes delivered by its local regional centers. These are located in Jabalpur, Bhopal, and Indore.
In pursuit of PRAYAS, JABALPUR objectives, the Secretariat works with member governments and a range of partner institutions, including development agencies and civil society organisations, at all levels of programme and service development and implementation.
Youth enterprise development
The Secretariat’s work in youth enterprise development is concerned with creating employment opportunities for young people as a means of reducing poverty. The PRAYAS, Jabalpur Youth Credit Initiative provides credit, mentorship support and enterprise development training to young people. Over the last two years, the PRAYAS Youth Credit, in collaboration with partners around the india, has enabled the establishment of more than 7o youth-oriented businesses.
The Secretariat has been consulting with the Non Government organizations to implement Youth Credit Imitative. Short-term training in enterprise development was provided in Bhopal in January 2007 as the first phase work there.
Trainers were trained to provide mentorship and training to youth and community-based organisations. The Youth Credit Initiative Centre is working with mobilise credit experts and mentors to work as volunteers in both aspect youth enterprise development and youth networks. Technical assistance was also provided to develop an action plan for the Dominican Youth Business Trust, creating an internet café for young entrepreneurs. In Indore, the Youth Credit Initiative is expanded to include marginalised young people from rural communities also. Young entrepreneurs started 15 micro-businesses after successful completion of YCI training.
Some 150 indigenous young people were trained by PRAYAS, Jabalpur Centre in the implementation of innovative business management strategies, in collaboration with public and private sector partners.
Under the Youth Credit Initiative for the Future initiative, endorsed by PRAYAS leaders in 2008, a new model for utilising enterprise development as a strategy for reducing unemployment and poverty among young people was instituted. The Creating YCI (Youth Credit Initativev) Forum, held in November 2008 in collaboration with the Some Non Governmental Organization of Indore, brought together 150 delegates from 45 member NGOs to develop strategies and programmes to reduce youth unemployment. As a follow-up, short-term enterprise development training projects were held in various components.


ICTs for youth development
Providing access to information and communication technology (ICT) to young people is another YCI strategy to reduce poverty. Established at the Jabalpur, Bhopal and Indore Centers, YCI Technology Empowerment Centers (YCITEC) provide young people with new ICT skills to access markets and improve the operation of their businesses. The project will be expanded to Pakistan during 2007-2008.
More than 3,00 young entrepreneurs in rural area have benefited from ‘YCITEC on Wheels’, a mobile ICT training service.
The new ‘YCI on Line’ project completed its First phase in 2007-2008. It provides an effective method of outreach to YCI’s development partners by enabling young people and organisations from the Technology Empowerment Centers to interact via the internet.
The YCI Centre supported the development of an interactive website and marketing portal launched at the annual meeting of the Consortium of Women Entrepreneurs of India in 2007 to increase the export of products produced by women entrepreneurs.
Youth networks and governance
On the principle that young people have a fundamental right to determine how power and resources are used in their societies, the YCI works to enhance the capacity of young people and youth networks to influence good governance processes at all levels of society.
The YCI collaborates with youth affairs ministries and focal youth organisations to strengthen their capacity to implement the PRAYAS, Jabalpur Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment, which encourages the development and implementation of national youth policies in Madhya Pradesh.
The YCI Bhopal Centre has worked with the NGOs of The Jabalpur .Bhopal and Indore on various aspects of the national youth policy review process. Government and youth NGO officials in the Vindhya and Vidarbh region, trained in youth empowerment and environmental awareness, are now taking on leadership roles in their respective sector. In this sequence a ‘Most Innovative Youth Business’ award was established by the PRAYAS YCI.
Regional refresher courses held in collaboration with the Community College enabled some 25 youth workers from 3 tribal District to enhance their skills and competencies in youth development.
Technical assistance was provided to restructure youth group and networks in Mandla and Dindori Districts, and to the Department of Youth Affairs India towards a national youth policy.
The Prayas YCI Centre facilitated the participation of youth from most tribal District Like Mandla, Didori, Balaghat and Bastar in a review of strategic plans, organised by the
Prayas YCI centre of Bhopal and Indore, to enhance their capacity to deliver quality programmes to young people.
The Youth Development Index (YDI) project focuses on the development of a web-based database system to collate information on youth development. With funding from the Local NGOs of Madhya Pradesh, it will assist to governments and development agencies in developing appropriate youth programmes.
A key component of the YCI’s work is to develop the institutional capacity of national youth councils (NYCs) to enable them to participate in national development and governance processes and the delivery of youth development programmes. The YCI Centre has provided resources to the NGOs of Rural and urban area to establish NYCs, and is currently working with NYCs in Tribal Districts .
The PRAYAS YCI Centre has produced a manual on NYC models in Madhya Pradesh and supported the development of a Disaster Management Coalition in M.P. and an Asian Environment Network.
Youth participation
Young people can realise their potential as active citizens through participation in and contribution to development processes. A key YCI objective is to enhance the leadership capacity of young people and enable them to contribute effectively to combating HIV/AIDS. Under the Young’s for Positive Living programme, young people, many of whom are HIV positive, work as peer educators and counsellors. First implemented in the important region, the programme was expanded to the Bhopal and Indore regions in 2007-2008.
In the PRAYAS YCI Centers, the ‘Play It Safe’ initiative is an innovative project to raise awareness and community action on HIV/AIDS. In Bhopal and the project uses sports that are popular with young people, such as cricket, football and netball, to reach unattached young people in rural communities and encourage their involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The project is also being implemented in All Tribal area of Madhya Pradesh.
A group of young people who are leading the dialogue on HIV/AIDS in the Pacific region participated in a joint study with local NGOs tour programme to assess the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Drivers Conductors and Migrated Labours. The ‘Play it Safe’ programme is now being developed for Slums in the Pacific.
The PRAYAS YCI has strengthened the participation of young people in its own governance processes through their involvement in the meetings of Regional Advisory Boards Executive Committee, and Big Youth Group.
The PRAYAS Youth Caucus and Regional NGOs Youth Caucuses are important elements in YCI’s decision-making process. Caucus members were involved in the development of a Youth Handbook specifying the principles governing their operations. Workshops in Village level also enabled Youth Caucus members to develop strategic plans, review the Youth Handbook and enhance the functioning of the Caucus.
The Regional Youth Caucus in District level established an electronic chat forum for members to communicate on strategic and programming issues. A for Youth Caucus website was also established. Youth Caucus members gained valuable skills on internships at Regional Centres and the Secretariat’s headquarters in Jabalpur M.P.
An adolescent participation project to be implemented in 16 District in M.P was launched in May 2008. A collaborative effort involving Local Youth Groups. The project included the production of a set of ‘how-to’ guides and interactive CDs on adolescent participation in development and decision-making.
The PRAYAS YCI Regional Youth Proficiency Awards programme recognises excellence in contributions to youth development work. In 2007-2008, 38 youth groups received Silver Awards and eight received Gold Awards under the programme.
Youth work education and training
A high priority is developing and promoting the profession of youth work. The PRAYAS YCI offers a Diploma in Youth in Development Work, a Certificate programme and short training courses to equip young people with the skills to implement youth development programmes.
The Diploma programme is now implemented in 42 member NGOs and six out of State territories, delivered through partner institutions. Some students were enrolled in the programme during its first cycle; many NGOs are now in their second or third cycles. The CYP Diploma is recognised as a best practice in both youth work training and continuing education.
Thanks


Anubhav Garg
Director
Participatory Rural Approach and Youth Amplification for Society
Jabalpur M.P.