After working for some time with children and young people as our primary focus, it became clear that in order to properly support these young people we needed to create a safe and supportive atmosphere in which for them to develop. To do this we formed Lok Samarthan Manch both to work with our Balsena and Tarunsena members and also as a place to train and educate adults as to the benefits that children bring to society. Lok Samarthan Manch is an adult community group that meets to discuss child rights and community needs with the aim of making people more sensitive to the needs of children and young people, such as the need for education rather than labour. Together with this we provide them with the materials, resources and training to be able to look at what services the government has promised them, what services they receive, and the standards of these services so that they can form their own pressure groups and start their own campaigns thereby raising their self-esteem and ultimately empowering them.
In addition to Lok Samarthan Manch we also set up Area Committees and Area Resource Centres. The area committees represent children, youths and adults in the area that the committee works while Area Resource Centres exist to increase empowerment and holistic development through a mutual sharing of knowledge and experience. It is also a place for the community to see as their own space. Through the Area Resource Centre we run a variety of activities, including; collecting and distributing government information, making available computers and software in our NASSCOM centre, health education, and seek to motivate and guide users through forming connections with other organizations and coordinating with NGOs, local government and local institutions.
