About Us

About Us

During early 80s, the voluntary sector in India was in the transition phase with a belief in Gandhian Philosophy and emerging youth movement on the current issues of that era. The youth movement in India was led by great personality of that era Dr. S. N. Subbarao, very fondly remembered as Bhaiji. The Founder of NIWCYD, Shri R.K. Malviya, was motivated by the works of Bhaiji and participated in the National Integration Camps conducted by Dr. Subbaraoji in late 70s and early 80s. Later on during 1979-80 he along with the other two founder members joined the training course for the youths to work in the rural and tribal areas of the country started by Bhartiya Adim Jati Sewak Sangh at Nagpur. After completing the course these three youths decided to work for the downtrodden in and around Nagpur. While working with the underprivileged communities, these youth got struck with the idea of forming an organisation with the idea of working for the overall development of women children and youths from the rural and tribal communities, and thus the organisation named “National Institute of Women Child and Youth Development was formed and established on 2 nd May 1982. Initially working informally with the women and youth groups in the rural parts of Nagpur, need was felt to register the organisation to expand its work base in adjoining Madhya Pradesh. Thus National Institute of Women Child and Youth Development was registered in 1985.

From the beginning, the founders had decided to work with the most vulnerable communities. In the initial years of formation, NIWCYD organised the National Integration Camps for the youths from rural and tribal areas in different parts of the country. Many local youths were trained through this process. Many workers of NIWCYD working with the organisation have come up through this process. The Chief Functionary of NIWCYD, Shri Rajesh Malviya had worked in Amarpur area of erstwhile Mandla district, now comes in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. After the registration of NIWCYD, the work of the organisation started in Amarpur area, focusing on the issues of Youths, women and more importantly the malnourishment among the tribal children in Amarpur area. Later on in the early 90s, organisation started the work in Baiga Chak area, a reserved forest area of Dindori (erstwhile Mandla) District, with Baiga Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.

In the year 1995, NIWCYD extended its work in the Bastar region, with the Madia Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in five villages. In May 1997, there was a massive earthquake in Jabalpur, which paved the way for NIWCYD to start the relief and rehabilitation work in Jabalpur area. While working in the rural areas of Jabalpur, near Bargi dam, NIWCYD team came across the critical issue of children from the villages on the bank of river Narmada engaged in extracting the sand from 30 to 40 ft. deep water. The conditions of these children were very pathetic with most of the children suffering from skin diseases and hearing losses. This prompted NIWCYD to initiate the programme focusing on the rights of the children and streamlining them in to the education system. While working with the rural communities around Jabalpur, another issue of children and especially the girls from the villages working on the stone quarries and stone crusher units. These girls had to face the many issues such as physical abuse and exploitation at the stone crusher units. To improve the conditions of these girls and also to bring them in to the mainstream of the development process, NIWCYD started the residential skill development programme for the girls and adolescents in Jabalpur. In the year 2000. NIWCYD initiated the work with the Government Observation Home in Durg, Chhatisgarh to improve the living conditions for the children in Observation homes. This was the pilot experiment with the Women and Child Development Department, Govt. of Chhatisgarh. Later on the basis of the experiences gained from this work, NIWCYD initiated the work with the rag picker street children and platform children in Bhopal city from the year 2001.

NIWCYD started its journey from 14 villages of Dindori district way back in 1995, is now presently working in more than 6000 rural and tribal villages of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand along with the urban areas of Bhopal, Itarsi, Katani, Jabalpur and Nagpur cities. The chronology of the work of NIWCYD is reflected as follows:

• Soil and Water Conservation Program to address food security issue
• Gram Kosh (Village Fund) and Beej Kosh (Seed Bank) development
• Promotion of Agriculture and Horticulture activities
• Livelihood issue of the tribal through Natural Resource Management, Agriculture development ensuring women participation.
• Group Building and Awareness Programs for Tribal and Rural Women
• Child Rights and Education Program
• Village Mobilization and Leadership Development Program
• Information Dissemination and Skill Development of Groups
• Women Empowerment through self-help promotion
• Water and Sanitation
• Emergency Relief & Rehabilitation Work During Disaster & Natural Calamities
• Networking with NGOs and People’s Organizations on the issues of livelihood and capacity building of the marginalised communities and community based organizations.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the Institute are :

• Working for overall development of women, children and youth and empowering them for the purpose of obtaining their participation in the process of their own development
• Developing skills and leadership potential of rural and tribal youth
• Improving self sufficiency of people living in remote areas of the country by their social and political empowerment through Panchayat Raj Institutions and local CBOs without drastically altering their life styles and
• Undertaking activities related to Natural Resource Management including soil and water development and conservation.

Vision

NIWCYD aims to be an instrument of tribal and rural development through the process of complete empowerment of the beneficiaries which will render them self sufficient, thereby reducing or eliminating their dependence on external support for any issue or difficulty they may face.

The guiding philosophy of NIWCYD's efforts has been to utilize natural resources - real and potential, those are available locally and enable sustainable development and empower the community based organizations to fight for the local issues to safeguard the rights of the poor and the tribal.

Core Issues being addressed by NIWCYD

• Livelihood issue of the tribal and marginal farmers through Natural Resource Management, Agriculture development ensuring women participation.
• Strengthening of Community Based Organisations and Panchayati Raj Institutions.
• Socio-Economic empowerment of the women.
• Reducing the Child Mortality and Malnutrition
• Child rights and Education
• Social security of unorganized sector
• Water, Sanitation and Health
• Skills Development for earning with dignity
• Relief and Rehabilitation during Natural Calamities and Disaster

Population Focus

Work of NIWCYD revolves basically in the rural and remote tribal areas with the focus on:

• Ethnic groups viz. Baigas, Gonds, Korkus, Mowasi, Madias and Saharia.
• Marginal Farmers.
• Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Children of weaker sections.
• Delinquent, neglected and street children.
• Child labour.
• New born.
• Youth.
• Women.

Present Area of Operation

Organisation is working in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand particularly in tribal and rural belt.

Villages Covered are as follows :

• Madhya Pradesh - 5000 Villages of Mahakoshal Region – Tribal Pocket
• Maharashtra - 1000 villages of Maharashtra – Rural Pocket
• Chhattisgarh - 115 Villages of Chhatsgarh state– Tribal Pocket
• Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand - 6 districts of 2 states
• 125 Slum areas of Nagpur, Bhopal and Jabalpur cities.
• Platform children at Bhopal, Itarsi and Katni railway stations