SEVANKUR
(Motivating Youths for Service)
A Journey Ahead (Progress Report) 2007-2011
SEVANKUR is an open platform for the youths, who want to live differently & also wants to bring difference in others’ lives. It is facilitated by PRAYAS, Amravati & many like minded friends with social commitment, from different sectors. Mainly professional college students of medicine, engineering, management, social work background are involved in it. Majority of them are from middle India-the middle class families of rural or semi-urban background, with desire to do something for the society. SEVANKUR provides a nurturing platform & tries to intensify this desire & also helps in transforming it in action.
SEVANKUR started with an objective of creating a nurturing ecosystem for promoting voluntarism. It is the entry level activity just like the preschool & it prepares the youths for the journey towards voluntarism & social change. For this we also try to link up with various youth networks like NIRMAN, SHIVAM PRATISHTHAN, TATA JAGRITI YATRA & many others.
Initially we organized annual camps of SEVANKUR, with objective of sensitising & motivating youths, through exposure to various Role Models of different background. First camp was held at Baba Amte’s Anandwan in 2007, in his presence, with his blessings. From 2009 the frequency & the geographical spread has expanded many folds as evident from below.
|
Sr. No.
|
When
|
Where
|
No. of Participants
|
|
1
|
Feb. 2007
|
Anandwan
|
225
|
|
2
|
Feb. 2008
|
Anandwan
|
275
|
|
3
|
Feb. 2009
|
Anandwan
|
450
|
|
4
|
July 2009
|
Sevagram
|
150
|
|
5
|
Feb. 2010
|
Sevagram
|
300
|
|
6
|
July 2010
|
Ahemdnagar
|
150
|
|
7
|
Aug. 2010
|
Anandwan
|
275
|
|
8
|
Sept. 2010
|
Ambajogai
|
150
|
|
9
|
Dec. 2010
|
Akola
|
150
|
|
10
|
Feb. 2011
|
Anandwan
|
300
|
The spread of Sevankur activity occurred by mouth publicity & referral only. We don’t advertise much regarding the program, nor do we ask any college authorities for sending participants. Most of the participants came through referral by ex participants. Usually two third of them are new & one third are the repeaters. They come voluntarily, pay for their travel & the token registration fees towards logistic costs (We subsidies it to some extent by way of support from outside)
All the resource persons we invite to interact with the participants, are Role Models in some or the other ways, who themselves have lived differently & brought significant changes in other’s lives. They also came with their own expenses & without any expectation of remuneration. Even most of them stay back with the participants beyond their sessions, many of them for the complete duration of the camp. The informal interaction goes on till late night hours, sometimes up to 3-4 am.
The overall three day’s residential program of SEVANKUR, consist of total ten sessions of one & half to two hour’s duration. Usually six Role Models share their life journey with the participants in the form of interview, followed by Q & A. Two sessions are for the participants to interact amongst themselves in small groups & two sessions are meant for their common sharing. All the senior friends also participate in these sessions. One session is devoted to see & learn from the host organization. The complete event is organised in a very informal, friendly & familiar atmosphere.
The participants develop a strong bondage amongst themselves & also with the resource persons. Their batteries get fully charged. The follow up is done through sms, phone calls, emails & actual visits & small meetings at their places. The participants have taken many small initiatives of “Making a Difference” at their places afterwards.