SUCCESS STORY: "Adarsh youth group", Pangloli village

What are your dreams? One sudden day, YOJAK asked this question to an oddly gathered youth in tribal Pangloli village. All men youth aged 20 to 35 started looking at us as if we have asked them about a procedure of designing rocket. The hall was filled up with pin-drop silence and it took next 3 years for us to break this silence.

This small tribal village, near Lonavala, is physically locked in between three boundaries. One side of the village is a boundary which divides Pune & Raigad district, other side is the boundary which divides village and Lonavala city and the third side is the boundary which divides, Maval & Khed block of Pune district. No wonder, this village is at the border of different district and block headquarters. Last destination for schemes!

On the other hand, 70% village population is young i.e. below 45 years of age. Their parents came to village some 50-60 years back because they wanted to educate their kids in a small residential school nearby. Today's young population is the first generation in their family who can read & write.

Nevertheless, with no land in hand, these 8th or 10th pass youngsters feel helpless. Many of them still not having caste certificate, most of them don’t know birthdates. Few have got jobs as waiters, gatekeepers, gardeners in nearby hotels/farmhouses. Vulnerable to natural calamities, health incidences, accidents, debts, addictions; many of them trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty.

We found out the reason behind their silence! As an anthropologists, we decided not to follow any model or impose any model. However, we were sure that if young men decide to change themselves slowly things will change.

One day, after many meetings, 11 youngsters decided to come up with a mission to help each other. Their first dream! YOJAK provided them with a tool to uplift themselves financially. A small village level paper plate manufacturing unit was started. Motivated group members became architects and designed their own manufacturing plant at the place given by village Panchayat. Today the group members are manufacturing around 3 lakhs of paper plates per month on cooperative basis.

By this time they have understood their potential & decided to uplift villagers. Various activities such such as village sanitation drive, solar lamp distribution, awareness program to construct toilets, awareness program to reduce addiction etc. were initiated.

Now they have found their new dream i.e. helping each other to help others!! They are coming up with village development plan document. Along with use of technological advancements, the development plan document has a vision to conserve nature, culture & cooperative structure in village.

Today, government schemes are utilised as a tool to fulfil their dreams. Projects such as Solar lighting system, food processing plants, reforestation and libraries are in pipeline. But more importantly, mutual funds, food bank to zero down starvation are some of the innovative initiatives taken up  by youngsters.  YOJAK is still a guiding force.

We say, this is a start of their own journey. The foundation is such that it will reach it’s destination. Hence, we call it as a success story of these young dynamic capable youngsters who would have probably lost in watching dreams of other world in videos or cinema halls! YOJAK will always be proud of them.