About Us

Driven by Inclusion, Equity, and Social Change

Our Story

Growing Through Purpose and Action

At Praajak, we are committed to creating a safer and equitable world for children, adolescents and youth. Our mission is to work alongside children, youth, families, and communities to end gender stereotypes, inequities, and violence, realizing our vision of a gender-just society. Our programmes aim to protect children from abuse, exploitation, and neglect while promoting gender equity through education, life skills development, psychosocial support, building youth leadership and community engagement.

Founded on the principles of gender equity, celebration of diversity and promotion of inclusion, our initiatives include gender learning circles, sports (kabaddi) classes, and support programs that inspire young minds and foster leadership.

Where It Began

A Journey of Lasting Impact

1997-2002
  • Entry in government runs boys Child Care Institutions (CCI) in North 24 Parganas with psychosocial support intervention
  • Work on masculinities started with creation of support groups for transgendered youth in South 24 Parganas
  • Started work with children in contact with railways in Bandel and Baruipur; this grew inro the Muktangan programme
  • Initiated work on art and theatre in the CCI; developed a manual on theatre and art based psychosocial support techniques for children
2002 – 2007
  • Started Muktangan with Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Malda; it was later extended to Asansol, Kharagpur, New Cooch Behar and New Jalpaiguri
  • Work with CCIs initiated in multiple districts in West Bandel; initiatives for restoration and repatriation for children from CCIs started
  • Orientation and support provided to multiple non-government organisations (NGOs) and government personnel for promoting quality of care in institutions and alternatives to institutional care
  • Work on promoting inclusion of transgendered adolescents within families through education and other interventions initiates in rural West Bengal
2007 – 2012
  • Organisational experiences contributed to development of the Standard Operating Procedure by the Department of Home, Government of West Bengal, for repatriation of children of Bangladeshi origin
  • Started annual campaigns to highlight child rights, local needs and issues affecting children through cultural performances  called ‘Abhay Yatra’; first campaign focused on need for constituting State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in West Bengal
  • Undertook action research programme on adventure sports for development with young people
  • Started work with Dum Dum Municipality on child protection for urban deprived children
2012 – 2018
  • Muktangan received special mention in a judgement passed by the Delhi High Court on February 13, 2013 in the case of Ms Khusboo Jain vs Ministry of Railways, Government of India, on care and protection of children in contact with railways
  • Focus of the Muktangan programme shifted from railway station based work to community based initiatives at source locations
  • Started work on prevention of child marriage and child trafficking with rural and urban communities, children and young people across multiple locations
  • Greater focus on work on mental health and combating violence against children
  • Educational initiatives aimed at enhancing reading capabilities of children in government schools undertaken
OUR APPROACH

The Praajak Model for Lasting Change

HEART

The Core Belief
  • A gender equitable and safe society requires the culture and behaviours that make toxic gender roles and gender based harm unacceptable
  • Adolescent and youth are best positioned to lead this transformation and shape a world of empathy, esteem and acceptance

HEAD

The Disruptive Idea
  • Enabling young boys, as actively as young girls to address toxic gender roles, interrogate their sexuality, identify patriarchal privileges and build a gender equitable consciousness
  • Facilitate boys and girls to transform their worlds by transforming themselves, their families and their social networks

HANDS

The Model
  • A network of vibrant community spaces that are designed and led by youth
  • Spaces for:

    EXPLORATION: Joyful exploration of ones own identity, relationships and capacity for self-transformation

    AGENCY: oBuilding physical, emotional, cognitive and social agency through creative, cultural and therapeutic interventions

    BEHAVIOUR CHANGE: JChallenging and shaping discourses in families and neighbourhoods  towards empathy, acceptance and feminist consciousness

The THREE CIRCLES OF IMPACT

From participation to community leadership

Through a 3C Model Praajak is collectivizing youth, building their agency and galvanizing enabling ecosystems to create joyful, safe, gender just societies

Collectives

Learning Circles and Sports/Art sessions at the village or ward level to protect the rights and welfare of children, enabling them to make positive choices, challenge gender norms and freely assert their identities.

Down Arrow

Viralizing the approach in communities and institutions to create free, joyful spaces for mental wellbeing, critical thinking, dialogue and collectivization, and build the agency of youth and children.

Community

Network of families, leaders  and institutions drive a child welfare system at the Local  and the District Levels.

Down Arrow

Catalysing youth-led change in communities/institutions & creating enabling ecosystems.

Changemakers

Praajak’s office is a platform for youth volunteers who are now driving new projects and initiatives across the state, that are based on Praajak’s core methodology of building Self Efficacy through sports and arts. It is a hub of learning and dialogue for all team members as well as stakeholders.

Down Arrow

Building a platform for launching a State Level network of youth leaders and change-makers who are taking forward the Praajak model.