"Let's be uncomfortable, that's what 5th Space is all about"
Four NSS Volunteers share their challenges, learnings and experience during #ReimaginingNSS. The NSS or the National Service Scheme under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, involves students throughout the country with primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service. #VolunteersActFirst #IVD2017
Video
06/12/2017
06/12/2017
India is witnessing a demographic transition. It is home to one of the largest and fastest-growing youth populations in the world. What does the Youth of this country want beyond family, friends, career and leisure?
5th space, a collaboration between UNFPA India, Pravah and the YP Foundation provided these youngsters a platform to come forward and put forth their thoughts, without the fear of being judged for their opinions. Pooja, a youth leader shares what went behind creating a successful Re-imagining NSS program through 5th space. The NSS or the National Service Scheme under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, involves students throughout the country with primary focus on the development of personality of students through community service.
#VolunteersActFirst #IVD2017 #InternationalVolunteersDay
21/11/2017
243 million adolescents in India provide for a million windows of opportunity. How are we nurturing them to transform society and the country? Do they perceive #TransformingIndia as a collective responsibility?
How do they plan to contribute and help #India tap the demographic dividend?
15/11/2017
As per India Census 2011, there are total 2,13,62,000 adolescents in the age group of 10 to 19 years in the state of Maharashtra. This constitutes to 8.4% of total adolescent population in India. The sex ratio of the adolescent age group in 2011 is 878 girls per 1000 boys. As per the National Family Health Survey (2005 – 2006), 52% of adolescent girls in Maharashtra are anemic. They also lack access to quality healthcare services.
Although India has one of the fastest growing youth populations in the world, its gender disparities pose significant barriers for the future of girls. UNFPA along with our implementation partner SNEHA, under the Adolescent Empowerment Program, is empowering marginalized adolescent girls living in vulnerable communities of Thane (Maharashtra) by enhancing their health, social and economic assets so that they can fulfill their aspirations and exercise their agency to make informed and responsible choices in relation to their health through multiple activities.
The programme is being implemented in four vulnerable communities of Thane Municipal Corporation: Mahatmaphule Nagar, Janki Nagar, Bhaskar Nagar and Waghoba Nagar. The project covers 2000 adolescent girls from these communities
As part of the project a series of activities to engage families and communities were undertaken to build a supportive environment to work with adolescent girls like Mobilization of adolescent girls, parents' workshops, Film screening, Kishori Melawa, Theatre workshops and Adolescent boys’ workshops.
Currently, the focus is to Strengthen Resource Centers: Resource Centers with provision of material on themes related to adolescents, Engaging with families and communities to build supportive environment for working with adolescent girls through through workshops expanding reach to adolescent girls through campaigns like 16 days of activism, National Youth Day and create Change Agents in the society.
Interestingly, the Change Agents have taken up community awareness initiatives like Safety Audit of their respective areas. From the safety audit, it was inferred that girls find spaces like toilets, cigarette stalls and alcohol shops unsafe. It was also noted that even crematoriums (shamshan) were marked as unsafe spaces, as they were dark and isolated, making it easier for men to harass girls. In the other locations, girls stated that they felt unsafe due to the presence of men who frequently loiter outside small shops and toilets in groups, whistling at the girls and often trying to touch them inappropriately.
Watch the video to know more about this journey till now.
07/11/2017
"Every girl no matter where she is born, should have a chance to reach her potential. Every girl has the right to be a girl and not a child bride"- Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin
When girls from a UNFPA supported girls' empowerment intervention in Bihar traveled to Rajasthan and met their peers, they realized that they have a lot more in common than they expected! Traveling to a different land, meeting other girls, forging friendships, and sharing stories and experiences made for a memorable journey.
Bihar and Rajasthan are among the states with the highest prevalence of child marriage in India.
The #GirlsChangeTracks campaign.is led by The Hunger Project (THP), a UNFPA partner. As part of the collaboration with THP, UNFPA is supporting a girls' empowerment based initiative in 5 districts of Bihar. The work with girls is embedded within THP's larger approach of strengthening women's political participation and building capacities of elected women representatives to address local development concerns.
UNFPA partners with the Government and Civil Society Organizations to support life-skills based targeted interventions with girls that enable them to delay marriage, attain education and skills, and develop to their full potential.
27/07/2017
"India has a possibility of Win-Win situation, in terms of their demographic trends and dynamics into the future" - Diego Palacios, country representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) speaks about migration & India's population trends on Delhi Doordarshan Channel's programme Aaj Savere.
25/07/2017
"World Population Day is celebrated to remind us that population's growth & dynamics are very important elements of Sustainable Development" - Diego Palacios, country representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) speaks about migration & India's population trends on Delhi Doordarshan Channel's programme Aaj Savere
20/02/2017
"With so much expansion of media, tv, social media and overall technology, there are still many unanswered questions in the minds of young boys and girls. This is an ambitious project, aimed at behavioral change and overall thinking through these voluntary peer educators called Saathiya" - Sh CK Mishra, while addressing the gathering during the launch of Saathiya Resource Kit and Saathiya Salaah - the mobile app
The peer educators will be trained across the country in a phased manner, ensuring optimum use of the resource kit, which is a ready source of a range of communication material specially designed to help them to be recognised and respected as ‘saathiya’, a good friend for the adolescents.
The resource kit comprises activity book, Bhranti-Kranti Game, question-answer book and Peer Educator Diary.
In addition to the kit is the mobile app ‘Saathiya Salah’ which acts as a ready information source for the adolescents in case they are unable to interact with the peer educators.
While short films will be played by the peer educators at their group meetings, the activity book and games will bring about discussion and resolve adolescent queries.
20/02/2017
Diego Palacios, country representative UNFPA India addresses the gathering at the launch of Saathiya Resource Kit and mobile application. Also, Sh CK Mishra, Secretary, Home & Family Welfare (MoHFW India) unveils the resource kit to the gathering and media. The peer educators called Saathiya will be trained across the country in a phased manner, ensuring optimum use of the resource kit, which is a ready source of a range of communication material specially designed to help them to be recognised and respected as ‘saathiya’, a good friend for the adolescents.
The resource kit comprises activity book, Bhranti-Kranti Game, question-answer book and Peer Educator Diary.
In addition to the kit is the mobile app ‘Saathiya Salah’ which acts as a ready information source for the adolescents in case they are unable to interact with the peer educators.
20/02/2017
Union Health Secretary C K Mishra launched the ‘Saathiya’ resource kit, including ‘Saathiya Salah’ mobile application, for adolescents as part of the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK). He said that one of the best ways to reach out to the adolescents was to reach out to the community and therefore a system was designed which was called peer educators.
Diega Polacios, Country Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said the resource kit has been designed to present the peer educators with key information on adolescent health, which would then enable them to communicate the same and help the adolescents at the grassroots or village level.