Transform Outcomes for Children at Risk In India

As we bear witness to seasons changing and time fleeting away, we also grow into our personal idiosyncrasies. Yet, there are some occasions and a few habits that bring people together. One such occasion is looking forward to the new year filled with childlike excitement and a sincere hope for a fresh start. At MAD, we feel the same kind of energy and are excited about converting it to create better opportunities for children in dire need of it.

The one thing we are focusing on is mobilising our volunteers to raise funds. Our vision is to encourage each volunteer to take the responsibility of all the children that we work with and immerse themselves in mobilising the community around them to get involved in the cause. We believe that once each volunteer gets a firsthand experience at raising funds, it would not only help in our volunteers’ personal development by breaking inhibitions and mental barriers but would provide volunteers with the right kind of impetus to always go beyond and care more.

The response has been amazing! While volunteers are spending each day to support each other and innovate, cities like Mumbai have come forward and started campaigns online to raise funds for the Dream Camp Programme! In fact, Mumbai has just realized the power of the collective as their Ketto campaign has managed to raise INR 200,000  within 2 weeks! They are still hard at it and hope to raise enough to provide the camp experience the children deserve.

Speaking of camps, we are happy to share that preparations for our annual Dream Camp are on in full swing! Over the years, these camps have evolved from providing just a holiday experience to shelter home children to a three-day experiential camp which aims to provide exposure through sessions, build confidence and motivate these children by connecting them to their dreams. Dream Camps are also primarily a safe space, where children not only find emotional relief but have access to the kind of care and protection each child is entitled to. We concluded our training workshop for our Lead Session Facilitators in Delhi a week are so back and are gearing to convert our learnings to unforgettable experiences at the camp!

Since collaborative experiences enable development, we initiated a virtual platform where volunteers across 23 cities can share and learn from one another. Introducing Ed Support Office Hours, a place where Academic Support Volunteers from different cities congregated and shared their knowledge, provided support and encouraged each other for better class practices, preparation and execution. In it, we discussed some challenges that were more common than the others, like children struggling with the English language, but for every ‘problem’ highlighted, there were several minds which came together, examined it to its core and came up with varied strategies. In a nutshell, Office Hours in its pilot form was something unprecedented yet an event that pleasantly surprised us and reaffirmed our belief in the power of collective effort.

Up next lies the critical topography of matriculation examinations coming for the youth in 10th standard. The Transition Readiness and Aftercare team is hard at making sure the youth are confident, prepared and clear about their future goals. Having said that, we are also speeding towards our new academic year! This year we are looking to solidify recruitment and start volunteer sourcing in the next month - the earliest we have ever done in an academic year before! Why? Because we want children to have all the support they need to head towards a brighter future and make their way round the world with their shoulders held high. For a new year brings a new hope, and also greater courage.