SRINAGAR: The government of Jammu & Kashmir has conceived a pioneering initiative of youth clubs to engage and empower youth as partners in governance under the aegis of Mission Youth.
The clubs established in 2021 aim to offer the youth of J&K an opportunity to become change-makers and around 4,290 clubs have been formed. The volunteers in youth clubs are trained to work through real challenges and make meaningful changes. These volunteers develop a civic identity as leaders and change-makers and become socially more socially active.
The volunteers in these clubs are being trained in all aspects of government schemes and are part of emergency and crisis management plans and subsequently involved in planning and decision-making. The clubs serve as the focal point for positive engagement of the youth and endeavour to strive that they do not fall for radical propaganda and other social issues that trouble our youth.
An amount of 7.25 Cr has been provided as a grant in aid for specified activities of the youth clubs in the last financial year and Youth Engagement programs have been convened in all districts through these youth clubs and more than 2 lakh youth have been associated with the program.
Aqib, a youth volunteer from Pulwama said that they were always feeling alienated, from the system but after joining Youth we are feeling part of the system and governance. He said they are supporting Government in the drug de-addiction campaign in every Panchayat of the district. “We will make Pulwama Drug free district within the next few months,” he said.
In the Poonch district, the Youth volunteers feel jubilant about their participation in the socio-economic expansion of their district. “The process of developmental planning and governance apparatus was never as much participatory as made by this novel initiative of the Government,” said Rameez from Poonch. “Our youth volunteers organized scores of community-oriented activities during last year. We were able to plant more than 30000 saplings including Chinars in the district in a single go,” he added.
Similarly in the Budgam district, youth volunteers are participating actively in every welfare program of the Government. The mega Covid vaccination and deworming program in the district was organized by Youth Volunteers in collaboration with Health authorities. “We ensured to reach every child of every household in every Panchayat,” said Mehjabeen, one of the lead members of the Youth Volunteer Program.
