Apnalaya

Apnalaya is dedicated to empowering the urban poor by addressing critical issues of access, entitlements, and governance. Through partnerships with local administrations, public health systems, and community members, Apnalaya strives to improve lives in urban slums by ensuring access to basic services, healthcare, education, and livelihoods, while also advocating for essential civic entitlements.

Major Interventions:

Education and Livelihood: The NGO is committed to empowering adolescents, youth, and women to build sustainable communities. The programs focuses on providing 21st-century skills to children and entrepreneurial skills to women, enabling them to confidently pursue their chosen livelihood opportunities. It has evolved from providing early childhood care and education to addressing educational sponsorships for children and adolescents facing high dropout rates due to a lack of nearby secondary schools.

The current phase emphasizes equipping marginalized youth with life skills and socio-emotional skills necessary for navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood. In parallel, the livelihood programs aim to support and strengthen women’s financial independence through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), fostering social inclusion, skill development, and the confidence needed to start income-generating ventures. This comprehensive approach not only promotes informed decision-making among youth but also enhances the economic growth of families and communities through women’s empowerment.

Health and Disability: Apnalaya addresses the critical health needs of vulnerable communities by breaking the cycle of inter-generational poor health among mothers, children, adolescents, and people with disabilities. It focuses on improving health-seeking behaviour, building the capacities of community members, and strengthening health systems. Apnalaya employs a multi-dimensional approach to maternal, new-born, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN), including community mobilization, access to improved health services, and partnerships with key government departments. It also emphasizes early identification of high-risk pregnancies and disabilities, health and nutrition counselling, and facilitating access to government health schemes. Through community support groups, adolescent leadership training for local health workers, Apnalaya enhances community responsiveness to health issues and supports PwDs.

Apnalaya's Citizenship & Advocacy program empowers communities by educating them on their roles as active citizens. By promoting awareness of entitlements, collectivization, and participation in local governance, the program fosters community ownership and enhances the efficiency of service providers.