Centre for Youth Development and Activities (CYDA)

Centre for Youth Development and Activities, CYDA’s work focuses on youth aged between 13 years to 29 years to empower them and in turn contribute towards improving the lives of those marginalized in society, especially adopting a rights development approach. The underlying premise on which the NGO works is the belief that ‘youth’ are a potential force, who, if mobilized and channelized in the right manner and invested in, could serve as agents of social change and transformation.

Major Interventions:

Education: CYDA provides a roof where guidance and psychosocial support is provided to adolescents in age group of 10 to 19 years with an aim of their holistic development through remedial coaching, life skills education, digital literacy, spoken English, career guidance and promoting their journey towards responsible citizenship.

The adolescent and Community based resource centre (CRC) engages with young people and provides them space for engagement and participation, opportunities, skills and knowledge base. Remedial classes provide extra assistance to the students who back behind in their academics. The NGO focuses on digital literacy as one of the main pillars of education in 21st century. TARANG (Talking to Adolescents on Reproductive Health and Gender) is a life skills education program which includes broad subject categories like gender, value and value conflict, body mapping, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Trainings including music classes, martial arts and sports are also promoted.

The NGO has implemented a programme aimed at Bridging the Learning Gaps created by the pandemic and focusing on the basic academic skills of children in Zilla Parishad schools of Indapur Block with an aim to develop a deeper conceptual understanding for Mathematics and Languages (Marathi, English)

Project STEM focuses on building curiosity, developing critical thinking and making STEM subjects, Science and Mathematics easier for students along with building and upgrading the skills of school teachers thereby organizing online capacity building workshops on every Saturdays.

Youth Engagement & Innovation: Youth Research Centres provides holistic development focusing on understanding issues on identity-based exclusion, citizenship, SRHR (Sexual and reproductive health and rights), engagement and participation of youth at community level, psycho-social wellbeing, tolerance and harmony. Activities including youth4change, youth leadership, internships, exposure, youth networking and building capacities are supported. A platform is created for Members to adhere the values of Speak up, Gender Justice, Human Rights, Diversity and participatory decision-making and have taken initiative in organizing meetings, campaigns, festivals, camps and other gatherings during the year including road safety, blood donation, awareness campaign for homeless and vaccination.

Inclusion Unit: It promotes non-traditional skills among women and encourage them to take livelihood opportunities and professions, which break the gender stereotypes and challenge the existing gender narratives around LGBTQ community. In case of any emergency situation in the society, CYDA runs as an emergency unit to provide relief work including an epidemic like Corona or a flood in the rain thereby involving into the migrant matters. CYDA is working in a support role at the shadow shelter centre which is equipped with accessories such as bed, cot, chairs, locker, water filter TV and utensils for the shelter home to provide counselling, group sessions or mobilization to the homeless. Similarly, one of the objectives is to enable them through various skill-based training programs.

Community Development: The NGO takes up the program through special focus on Non agri and agri based livelihood promotion, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Health and Nutrition. During the second wave of Covid, families were supported with ration kits and livelihood, girls with educational kits along with increasing the coverage and access to vaccination. The NGO takes a comprehensive approach to implement Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program in communities, schools by coupling infrastructure development, community mobilization, private sector engagement and behaviour change.