Humanitarian Appeal From Youth Empowerment Foundation 

I am founder of Youth Empowerment Foundation which aims at educating underprivileged children, getting them out of the swamp of child labor and providing skill training to the youth in order to make them self-reliant. Getting an education was not easy me, it was a journey of years of struggle so I decided to make other’s lives easier.

“I myself was a child laborer working at a factory to help and support my family survive. Being a 12-13 yr. old, coming from a village, living in a city itself was a challenge. Whoever I went asking for help, exploited me, who took advantage of me. And this is not only my story there are many like me, who are facing this in life. We only see that the child is working in the day or begging on the streets. He may earn or collect some money, maybe able to fill his stomach but beyond that, there are a lot of things which are not accessible for him. There are people at every step to bring him down. He’ll get stuck in the swamp he is in, and keep drowning in debts. They’ll never be able to uplift themselves unless they are educated.

I didn’t get any NGO that could help me. So, I thought I should start a support system where I could help as many people. At Least I won’t deny help to anyone who needs it. So somehow, I finished my engineering and got employed in an MNC. I not only fund major part of my salary to the Foundation but also spend quality time with the Foundation team and community leaders to guide them in achieving the objectives our foundation stands for.

I started the NGO in 2016 to help educate children and support the underprivileged youth. Nowadays we see children who have degrees from good colleges but still get no employment opportunity because our education lacks skill training. So, I opened a center where children who are 14+ or who’ve finished their 10th grade, are taught skills along with education so that they can provide for themselves and stand on their own feet. So that they can support their family, and their education doesn’t come to a halt. We should not make them strong by providing them free things, what will take him ahead is his talent and skills. So, there’s a 360° development, and a permanent solution can be found.

Our centers have been self-funded. Whatever I earn I give it for the program. But we want to open more such centers with more children to support, but we need help. We need financial support.” YEF has several such initiatives to empower the children and has also provided ration and travel arrangements for 1500+ families during the current crisis.

Activities conducted by Youth Empowerment Foundation during last few months:

  1. Opening of center to educate underprivileged children, to provide skill training and to manage all charitable activities.
  2. Trained 4 girls for candle making work during Diwali and provided them employment opportunity.
  3. Started regular classes for underprivileged children and taught them academics, English and computer.
  4. Distributed 2,000 packets of sanitary pads in three cities namely New Delhi, Jamshedpur & Kolkata.
  5. Conducted menstrual hygiene awareness session at about 50 Anganwari Centers and distributed sanitary pads.
  6. Organized self-defense training session for girls residing in Rang Mahal Slum near Pitampura.
  7. Organized 50+ literacy drives in 5-6 slums of Delhi. Where we mobilized our volunteers to teach underprivileged children.
  8. Distributed grocery kits to migrant workers affected by COVID-19 lockdown.
  9. Distributed stationary & food packets to underprivileged children.
  10. Distributed 200 blankets to people residing on roadside.
  11. Distributed clothes at various shelter homes under Delhi Govt.
  12. Distributed clothes and blankets in a Hostel for Blind Students.
  13. Conducted webinars on various social issues.
  14. Engaged 100s youth in volunteering work and made them realize social responsibilities.
  15. Supported 3 families in their medical emergencies.
  16. Provided soft skill training to youth and helped then developing skill sets.
  17. Provided counselling to parents of underprivileged children.
  18. Engaged colleges students in research of sustainable livelihood projects.
  19. Conducted survey to open Skill Training and Education Centre in Ranchi.
  20. Working for self-made cotton sanitary pads.