In its Community Development Programme the Vishwa Yuvak Kendra has adopted a slum colony at Netaji Nagar, where it provides services related to education, health, income-generation, awareness and counseling to the slum dwellers.

Location & Coverage

The community development programmeed near the Safdarjung Railway Station. It comprises of 600 hutments or jhuggis. It has come up on government land and is at a convenient distance of 3 kms. from the Vishwa Yuvak Kendra.

Household

Living in the 600 jhuggis / hutments, the total population of the above mentioned slum colony is little over 4,000. It comprises of about 850 men, 600 women and 2,590 children. The average number of children per household is 4-5. There are 120 children below 1 year and 750 in the age group of 1-6 years and others are above 6 years old.

The average size of a household is 6-7 members. In some households there are as many as 9 persons. The average number of adults per family is 2-3. The age of the mothers vary from 16-45 years.

Education and Occupation

Out of 600 women only 10 women can read and write. Most of the women are housewives. Others are engaged as sweepers or domestic helps in the nearby localities.

Most of the men have only primary education. A majority of them are employed as labourers at the Cement Godown in the neighbourhood. Others work as Security guards, sweepers in private firms, or as fruit or vegetable vendors, or as cobblers. Only 15% of the population are able to secure stable employment.

Civic Amenities and Facilities Available

Being an unauthorized settlement of migrants in the capital city of our country the slum is deprived of legal electricity supply and other civic amenities. The slum dwellers however, manage to tap electricity illegally.

Water supply is provided four hours daily for which there are only 4 taps.

The drainage system is nearly absent. Water clogging during rainy season is not uncommon. Garbage gets accumulated at several corners and is not effectively cleared by NDMC personnel.

The Sulabh Shauchalaya built near the slum cluster was at the initiative of the Vishwa Yuvak Kendra in order to provide toilet facilities to maintain hygienic sanitary conditions. However five toilets and bathrooms of the Shauchalaya do not suffice for the large population and several go out in the open besides the railway track.

The survey conducted by the Kendra showed that the water borne diseases like Malaria, Dysentery, Worm infestation, Skin Diseases, Eye infection are rampant.

The Safdarjung Hospital which is about 6 kms. from the slum area, is the nearest Public Health Centre for medical treatment. The slum dwellers visit "Quacks" and fake" Godmen" for minor ailments; which often lead to other complications in terms of their health. 20% to 30% of the slum children avail the education facility in the nearby Municipal School.

In our development programme the children and the women are viewed as the key agents of socio-economic development. They are considered as valuable human resources who can be nurtured and developed into productive sources. We have therefore, designed and implemented several programmes for education and skill development of children and women.

Literacy

Literacy classes at the centre are held every morning. The community workers teach students not just letters and numbers, but also impart some general knowledge and skills through play-way methods. The centre's prime target group is the school dropouts. With active co-operation from the nearest municipal school. The idea is to equip them with a basic level of knowledge, after which they join the school. Vishwa Yuvak Kendra periodically conducts door to door surveys to identify the children who should join the literacy centre and thereafter go to formal school. After witnessing the effectiveness of the literacy classes more and more mothers have started sending their children specially the girls to the centre.

Vishwa Yuvak Kendra also conducts various types of competitions for the students, attending literacy classes. Winners are given prizes. Special prizes are also given to the students who attend classes regularly.

Health Camp

Vishwa Yuvak Kendra holds health camps every Saturday in which four doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College examine the patients for various ailments and provide treatment. Free medicines are distributed by the Kendra. About 50-70 patients attend the health camp every week. Regular immunization and vaccination programme are also conducted for children and pregnant mothers. The Directorate of Family Welfare supply free vaccines. The doctors emphasize on preventive aspects of health rather than curative method of treatment through health talks on various health issues.

Eye Camp

Vishwa Yuvak Kendra also conducts eye camps with the help of South District Blindness Control Society. Patients having different ophthalmic problems mainly vision impairment, cataract, eye infection, and poor eyesight are examined and treated. They are also advised for cataract operation arid spectacles if required. For this, Vishwa Yuvak Kendra distributes leaflets, contacts slum dwellers, conducts survey and sorts out the patients suffering from eye problems.

Classes for Income-Generating Skills

Income generation classes are held every afternoon. The community workers at the centre give embroidery and stitching lessons to young girls and women of the slum. The Kendra provides the raw materials. The objective is to teach them a skill that would help them generate income for themselves. The Kendra is also planning to market their finished products. As part of this project the young girls prepare New Year Cards that the Kendra sends out to its acquaintances. They are not only provided with the raw material for the same but are also given some incentive on each card that they make. The Kendra plans to go large scale with this exercise, and hence urge them to make cards not only for in house use, but also for sale to other organisations/individuals in future.

Awareness Camps

Vishwa Yuvak Kendra conducts awareness camps on various issues from time to time in the community. The main objectives of the camps are as follows:-