· In Concert: A performance by Swarathma, a leading music band in the country. Swarathma was formed in 2002, as a Bangalore based Indian Folk/fusion band. They released their debut album on Virgin Records and were nominated for the Jack Daniels Indian Rock Awards in 2008. Winners of the Radio City Live 2006 nation wide content for Bangalore’s Best Band in 2006 and were finalists for the Radio City Live content for India’s best Hindi Band. In 2008 Swarathma recorded for a compilation album funded by the British Council. They have performed both in India and internationally.
· In Exhibit: 7 Years of The YP: Artwork, paintings, photography and installation art showcasing young people’s work with the issues we work with.
· In Film: Digital Stories by the YP’s Youth-led Staff: featuring staff members' journeys with The YP Foundation, on what it means to run a youth-led organization and projects that create social change. Supported by the Global Fund for Children and the Centre for Digital Storytelling, USA.
Venue: The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre
Showing posts with label Delhi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delhi. Show all posts
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Blending Spectrum: On Location
The first day I walked into the Nizamuddin basti as a volunteer in August 2007, a group of excited children came running towards me and asked me if I was a new didi. Then each one of them eagerly introduced themselves to me and greeted me; some brought flowers, some gave me a hug, and some just could not help smiling. It is that one experience that has stayed with me ever since, and makes me go back to Nizamuddin again and again. Over the past two years I have seen many volunteers come and go but, like me, those who decide to stay on are the ones who built that very special bond with the children.
The Nizamuddin basti is a rag-picker colony with about thirty families living in it, some Muslim and others Hindu. Because of their economically disadvantaged background, the upbringing of these children is often unpleasant. Frustration caused by the lack of basic necessities in the area is released through violence, and in their years of innocence these children are exposed to a much darker side of life than we ever are.
A slum child’s eagerness to learn gives us all the positive energy we need, on location. After about two months of teaching the children about hygiene, one day this little girl at the basti came up to me and showed me her hands. She told me that she had washed them because she did not want to fall ill. That, for me, was by far one of the most heartening experiences.
Still, there are some problems we encounter on a daily basis. The attitude of the parents is one such problem: they are not always comfortable letting outsiders interact so closely with their children, but this attitude is changing as the parents are beginning to understand what we are doing and why we are doing it.
Communal tension is another problem that we have tried to address over the years as these children imbibe intolerance to other religions from their home environments. This attitude is difficult to deal with as it is deep rooted and reinforced by families, however we have been able to address it to the extent that whatever their home environment may be like our classroom is a place of secular learning where they sit together and work with each other.
The change I see is very slow, but the trust a child builds in me gives me the courage to do what I am doing and have a vision for these smiling faces.
Devyani Dutt
The Nizamuddin basti is a rag-picker colony with about thirty families living in it, some Muslim and others Hindu. Because of their economically disadvantaged background, the upbringing of these children is often unpleasant. Frustration caused by the lack of basic necessities in the area is released through violence, and in their years of innocence these children are exposed to a much darker side of life than we ever are.
A slum child’s eagerness to learn gives us all the positive energy we need, on location. After about two months of teaching the children about hygiene, one day this little girl at the basti came up to me and showed me her hands. She told me that she had washed them because she did not want to fall ill. That, for me, was by far one of the most heartening experiences.
Still, there are some problems we encounter on a daily basis. The attitude of the parents is one such problem: they are not always comfortable letting outsiders interact so closely with their children, but this attitude is changing as the parents are beginning to understand what we are doing and why we are doing it.
Communal tension is another problem that we have tried to address over the years as these children imbibe intolerance to other religions from their home environments. This attitude is difficult to deal with as it is deep rooted and reinforced by families, however we have been able to address it to the extent that whatever their home environment may be like our classroom is a place of secular learning where they sit together and work with each other.
The change I see is very slow, but the trust a child builds in me gives me the courage to do what I am doing and have a vision for these smiling faces.
Devyani Dutt
Monday, 25 May 2009
Staff Positions at TYPF - Call for Applications
The YP Foundation (established as The Youth Parliament in 2002 with support from the India Habitat Centre and registered as The YP Foundation in 2007) is a volunteer based non-profit organization that is committed to developing the uninhibited expression of young people.
Our primary objective is to support innovative ventures by young people by developing their skills and ideas to create projects and programmes that create social impact. We work with the age group of 16 to 28, empowering volunteers to develop their potential to reach others.
This year, we have decided to open our staff positions for application. We are currently looking for applicants to fill posts in our Senior Management, Management and Programme Divisions teams:
Requirements for all applicants:
1. Applicants must be over 17 years of age.
2. Applicants should preferably be Delhi-based or else be available to work in Delhi throughout the year.
3. Applicants must have a reasonable command over Hindi and English.
4. Applicants must have an inclination towards working with social issues for young people.
5. The term of each post is for 1.5 – 2 years. (Negotiable)
6. Applicants who meet the above requirements need to fill out an application form, post that all applicants will be called in for an interview.
7. Interview dates are 4,5,6th of June 2009. You need to be available one of those days.
Please send in your applications by June 1st 2009. For the application form and posts available, please contact us at
The YP Foundation,
D 344, Defence Colony,
New Delhi
E. theypfoundation@gmail.com
M. +91 9810283653.
If you’re passionate, creative, hard working, have the time and have always wanted a chance to run your own initiative, team or project – apply!
Please help us spread word!
Our primary objective is to support innovative ventures by young people by developing their skills and ideas to create projects and programmes that create social impact. We work with the age group of 16 to 28, empowering volunteers to develop their potential to reach others.
This year, we have decided to open our staff positions for application. We are currently looking for applicants to fill posts in our Senior Management, Management and Programme Divisions teams:
Requirements for all applicants:
1. Applicants must be over 17 years of age.
2. Applicants should preferably be Delhi-based or else be available to work in Delhi throughout the year.
3. Applicants must have a reasonable command over Hindi and English.
4. Applicants must have an inclination towards working with social issues for young people.
5. The term of each post is for 1.5 – 2 years. (Negotiable)
6. Applicants who meet the above requirements need to fill out an application form, post that all applicants will be called in for an interview.
7. Interview dates are 4,5,6th of June 2009. You need to be available one of those days.
Please send in your applications by June 1st 2009. For the application form and posts available, please contact us at
The YP Foundation,
D 344, Defence Colony,
New Delhi
E. theypfoundation@gmail.com
M. +91 9810283653.
If you’re passionate, creative, hard working, have the time and have always wanted a chance to run your own initiative, team or project – apply!
Please help us spread word!
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