MAKSAD Overview

444A slum youth initiative in Kalyanpuri and Trilokpuri, East Delhi: Giving youth an alternative life away from poverty, frustration and crime

MAKSAD was initiated by JOSH, with ISST, in Kalyanpuri and Trilokpuri, with an objective to involve the urban poor youth of these areas to build their capacity, and also simultaneously motivate them to address issues that affect their daily lives in a constructive manner. Thus along with teaching computers and English, we introduced various thematic and activity oriented workshops. The workshops covered issues like Right to Information Act, legalities and how to file an F.I. R., Domestic Violence Act, crime against children and juvenile custody etc. There are activity oriented workshops also like cartoons and comic workshops, pot painting, book binding, theatre etc.

MAKSAD as an Independent and Democratic Youth Group:

MAKSAD has a youth committee which has members elected for a terms of four months. There are six members of this committee, who are chosen by the general body of students. It is an independent and self sustaining group, where they collect their own fees of Rs. 10 each, to plan and run different activities, take care of grievance redressing, keep the class room clean, arrange for meetings and workshops, undertake fund raising activity for the group and look after the overall well being of the students of MAKSAD.

MAKSAD functions with the ideology of transparency and accountability, therefore all accounts (money collected in terms of fees and donations received + expenditure incurred for buying stationary, refreshment during workshops, photocopying etc) are shared by the Committee to the general body (MAKSAD group) and also displayed on the boards.