Reality 1

In families which incur debt continually and/or wherein substance/alcohol abuse is common and/or wherein domestic violence is frequent, chances of young teens/adults mimicking similar behaviours are higher than the opposite.

Reality 2

Charitable acts in the form of monetary donations, books, shoes, clothes or gifts, don’t go a long way in breaking cyclical patterns that lead to poverty, abuse and dysfunctionality. 

Threat

Teens/young adults raised, exposed and conditioned by these social norms/unconsciously approved behaviours are bound to mirror these members of their society by demonstrating behaviours that range from dark to darker. Hence as a society, no matter the advancement in science, healthcare and technology, at a macro level, regression is inevitable.

Initiative Focus

To address the downside of the realities that unwillingly create layers of counterproductive citizens in society. With a mission to combat systemic prompts that naturally position teens / young adults to indulge in negative behaviours that distance them from living lives with better stability and quality. Provide pro bono coaching and mentoring support to teens / young adults who are victimised by recurring social malaises.

Initiative Goals

In the target cohort- 

• Reduce school dropouts by 35 - 40%
• Expand network for skill-based job opportunities by 25 - 30% 
• Strengthen capability to make positive decisions 
• Increase access to resources and constructive options

Initiative Structure

Commenced in 2015 in Bangalore, India

• Type: Pro-Bono group/cohort based Coaching and Mentoring

• Target Group: Teens / young adults (16 - 21 year-olds living in homes of poverty and dysfunctionality as their parents are either unemployed or work in unregulated jobs)

• Duration: 6 - 8 months of engagement with each group/cohort
• Method: The initiative is administered in areas where unemployment, crime, lack of education and poverty are common indexes. Techniques such as visualisation, probing and appreciative inquiry are used as themes. The impact is consistently monitored and recorded to analyse data and improve implementation effectiveness in the long term.

Resistances Faced

• Cases of erratic absences/abandonment in the group/cohort 
• Parents not permitting participation  
• Giving in to the easy temptation to consume addictive / banned substances
• Variable levels of motivation because of no monetary benefits 
• Lack of belief in breaking out from the circle of poverty/abuse
• Constraints of time and hygienic places

Outcomes

More than 65% of participants were able to break out of the cycle of poverty and bad habits by visualising better futures 

• New goals for corrective actions were set by 80% of the participants who had breakthroughs
• The ability to prioritise positive actions over derogatory choices was expanded
• Higher awareness of the legal implications of indulging in crime
• The ability to talk the language of positivity and enablement overtook pessimism
• Strength to offset negative triggers in their home environment was stronger
• Financial freedom & increased income for some participants enabled them to live in better homes
• Completing their education helped them to become empowered & responsible taxpayers