The Project Saarthi aims to help youth (18 years and above) — who are required to leave the shelter homes as per the existing Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act — to find employment on an emergency basis and work with them in the long term to identify and take steps towards building their choice of career.
The long-term vision of the project is to support the youngsters in equipping them with life skills and mental health support to be able to uplift themselves from their current situation, the Foundation said in a statement.
As part of the project, the Foundation today conducted job readiness training to a pilot batch of 35 youth in Kolhapur, Maharasthra
Each of them were paired with one mentor to guide them in identifying their life goals and action plans to achieve it. Additionally, a scholarship has also been made available to all participants to take up skill building courses to bridge their skill gap, it said.
Commenting on the training, Muskurahat Foundation Founder Himanshu Goenka said: “We realised the lack of NGO penetration in Kolhapur and surrounding areas, a result of which is the lack of exposure for the children in shelter homes. These children anyway grow up with the absence of a family that takes care of your basic needs till the time they are able to earn their own living.”
“...We took quick decisions to support them in the interim to resolve their immediate requirements while keeping our focus on the long term that is to help them build quality lives for themselves,” he added.
With the pilot batch underway, the learnings are helping the NGO plan and execute more batches that will serve the large community of youth care-leavers currently in need in Kolhapur.
The slowdown of the economy rendered these youth jobless and unable to manage their living expenses. While the temporary relief through donations was available during the initial months, it has started dwindling and raised the requirement of a regular earning source for their sustenance.
The youngsters who leave the shelter homes lack awareness and exposure to career guidance, finding employment and work skills. As a result, they take up low-paying, odd jobs in the unorganized sector, which is one of the worst affected sectors during this pandemic, it added.
