AGNEL JAN KALYAN KENDRA (AJKK) (an initiative to empower the marginalized by improving quality of life through education, skilling, and participatory enterprise)
AJKK has impacted the community substantially, as is evident from the significant demand it has for admission to the mainstream education facilities which at present count 750. There is increasing demand each day for more admission.
Since the Khodda colony is overwhelmingly populated by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Classes Population as well as the OBCs and a large population of Muslims the center impacts the lives of the most vulnerable.
More specifically hundreds of households have sent their kids to school for the first time since they refused to go to school where facilities for a decent classroom room environment and where teaching did not exist. This has affected hundreds of children and households.
Hygiene and soft skills including savings and improved living conditions have visibly changed since the teachers have a mandatory community visit each day, for 2 hours to get the community engaged in development. This is also done through road shows throughout the colony creating awareness about development initiatives, etc
Agnel Jan Kalyan has impacted the community substantially, as it is evident from the significant demand it has for admission to the mainstream education facilities which at present count 600. There is increasing demand each day for more admissions. Since Khodda colony is overwhelmingly populated by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Class Population as well as the OBCs and a large population of Muslims the centre impacts the lives of the most vulnerable. Every year, at 30 to 40 trainees are placed in several work environments, primarily Call Centres, Hair Dressing Salons, Tailoring and Garment manufacturing units and several have started their own self employment activities in Tailoring, and Beauty Culture for wedding parties, School functions, etc.
More specifically hundreds of households have sent their kids to school for the first time, since they refused to go to school where facilities for a decent classroom room environments and where teaching did not exist. This has affected hundreds of children and households.
Hygiene and soft skills including savings and improved living conditions have visibly changes since the teachers have a mandatory community visit each day, for 2 hours to get the community engaged in development. This is also done through road shows through the colony creating awareness about development initiatives, etc.
Every year, 30 to 40 trainees are placed in several work environments, primarily Call Centres, Hair Dressing Salons, Tailoring, and Garment manufacturing units and several have started their self-employment activities in Tailoring, and Beauty Culture for wedding parties, School functions, etc.
Agnel Jan Kalyan has not received any funds from any organization and has so far remained self-funded, as its initiative and commitment to be engaged with the vulnerable community so that it can work with the disadvantaged to give them access to the benefits that the Government and the Economy offers through Education, Participation, Empowerment and Solidarity.
It does not seek a return on its investment (ROI), in terms of financial returns but surely does look forward that the facilities that it has set up will help in creating a cascading effect in the community and more and more individuals and groups can rise from their present deprived status to a higher socio-economic level and become part of a growing economy.
We have projected the following milestones in the next two years:
Agnel Jan Kalyan operates from Agnel Jan Kalyan Kendra (AJKK) which is a modern 20,000 sq feet Ground plus 4 storey facility, with 36 multipurpose classroom units, offices, Hall, sanitary facilities, and skill training equipment. The facility has 24/7 running water and captive electricity, internet, and all other amenities required for an education and skilling centre.
This centre was opened as part of the outreach program of Fr. Agnel School, Sector 62, Noida which has 3300 students. The objective of the AJKK was to launch development initiatives in the slum community centre thorough People’s Participation in Development, and active community involvement.
For 5 years we ran 3 NCPL (National Child Protection) centres where we educated and provided meals to 150 children rescued from the industrials units. When the promised reimbursement of money spent, became complicated, we launched our own centre first in rented premised in Navneet Vihar, Khodda colony and later to our own centre, the AJKK .
The AJKK , Khodda Colony, has:
AJKK has been established as a model for people’s empowerment, based on the participation and involvement of the beneficiaries and is part of the Government’s scheme to reach out to people. Our objective is to establish AJKK as a hub for creating COMMON SERVICES CENTRES across the Country where we are active in development work and outreach programs so that more and more individuals can take the opportunity for self-employment and entrepreneurship.
We will begin by training individuals to become VILLAGE LEVEL ENTERPRENEURS (VLE) in their areas of residence and through it, empower citizens in their neighborhood so that they can avail of the e-Governance facilities available to the citizens.
On a higher Scale, the VLEs will offer B2B (Business to Business) facilities as well as B2C (Business to Client) facilities in Mobile Recharge, Education facilities for enrolment, and other paid services for a minimum fee as part of the Cooperative movement for self-development through solidarity with the vulnerable, SCs and STs. as well as the OBCs and Muslims.
Education is the primary vehicle of individual and group change, and we consider that giving access to education to individuals and communities through the brick and mortar models as well as through digital modes such as “Sarkaripariksha.com” etc. is at our core.
The Centre has all the Equipment required for skilling in their chosen sectors:
