Youthreach organises annual volunteer meets aimed at providing a platform for exchange of volunteer experiences and learning from them.

As part of the programme, we organised a meeting in 2012 to which we invited volunteers who had shared their time and creative skills with our partner NGOs. Receiving feedback from our youthful volunteers – aged between 18 and 23 – made the occasion very valuable for us. We were happy to learn that they had found the process enriching and fulfilling.

VOLUNTEER SPEAK
Neeru Saluja Juneja of Udayam Prayas, a partner NGO, spoke appreciatively of one of our volunteers, Kanika Khurana:

“Kanika is a very sincere and dedicated worker. We had requested her to teach Math and English to a group of 10 children studying in class 7 in an NDMC school. She formed a very good rapport with the students and they also eagerly wait for her. Besides teaching, she talks to them about teen problems. Girls, in particular, have taken much liking for her and are comfortable discussing their issues with her. She has also agreed to help us with our cultural programme scheduled for March 2012.”

Afreen, one of the volunteers at Jamghat, said, “I felt very privileged to be part of Jamghat. The girls were very respectful, cooperative and keen to learn new things. I would like to thank Youthreach for giving me the most memorable experience in my life.”

Jaisal Singh who spent a summer at Jamghat said: “During the summer of 2012, I did many things and met many people. But one activity stood out for me. For the first time, I was a football coach instead of being a striker – my favourite position!
Over a period of two weeks, I trained 15 boys aged between 4 and 15 from the Jamghat shelter home. The experience was fantastic and I haven’t ruled out the possibility of coaching the boys once again next year.
I am fond of children but have never actually spent constructive time with them. Teaching them a game that I love not only made them happy but me as well! It was also a great learning experience for me as it corrected many mistakes I make inadvertently. They exceeded my expectations – each one of them played very well. On one occasion I showed them a football movie and cheered along with them whenever a goal was scored. I was so impressed with how fast they were learning that I treated them to cakes and sweets. The boys were delighted and wanted to play even better.
This was easily the best time of my life, I would say!”

YOUTHREACH and TEDX
Youthreach collaborated with Tedx in 2012 at the American School to promote the spirit of volunteerism among youth. Many eminent people from different professional backgrounds spoke to more than 100 children on how it was possible to realise their dreams. Youthreach took the opportunity to place before our young audience volunteering options in the areas of teaching, music, dance, photography and sports with our NGO partners.

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS
Youthreach designed and conducted a volunteer workshop for 30 members of the American expatriate community in association with the United States India Educational Foundation. The objective of the workshop was to orient the audience to critical social issues, enabling each participant to identify his or her volunteering interests and areas of competency.

Youthreach has in the past conducted several volunteer management training workshops with the objective of building capacities of our partners, enhancing the appreciation of volunteers and utilising the potential of volunteers effectively and efficiently. Six volunteer management workshops were conducted and attended by 44 partner organisations.