ongoing projects | Prakruthi

our ongoing projects

Girls and women face disproportionate injustice and exploitation; when they are from an underserved background, their situation exacerbates. We want to advance social structures to an end state of equity for opportunities and liberation from limiting beliefs by promoting social and economic empowerment through multidimensional policies and programs, mainstreaming gender dialogue and creating awareness about their rights thus enabling them to grow, develop and live to their full potential.

Research

Community

Social Impact

Cultural Programs

Economic Programs

Emergency Relief

research programs

Prakruthi’s field research team is conducting research and identifying patterns in child safety, mapping vulnerabilities, and identifying problem areas.

This work aims to map exploitation in the focus regions of our projects. With this data and actionable insight, Prakruthi supports our appropriate government partners to be informed to therefore enable the protection of vulnerable and exploited children. Prakruthi actively supports it’s government partners to support children to be brought into care, protection, and our programs through direct interventions alongside the government.

community vigilance groups

Community involvement in child protection is vital, even when adequate protection services and structures exist and are operating effectively.

Adults and children in a community are best placed to identify local protection issues and to develop the most appropriate solutions in cooperation with service providers. The perspective and behavior of communities towards children can also lie at the heart of protection violations. We are engaging communities to implement locally led solutions focused on community vigilance and protecting vulnerable children. The establishment of a culture focused on child protection in local neighborhoods can support children to thrive and contribute to society.

Prakruthi’s community groups are an empowered and impactful local group of volunteers working at a micro level in areas of high vulnerability. The program aims to bring the community together to create an ecosystem to support at-risk and disadvantaged girls and children. This is achieved by creating community based vigilance mechanisms to identify signs and instances of any form of exploitation and ensuring timely reporting to the appropriate local authority.

Prakruthi nurtures the formation of community vigilance groups in areas of high vulnerability. These groups engage with local stakeholders to be helpful for them through partnership and reporting. Community groups are set up such that they become a sustainable solution by making the communities responsible and empowered to take care of local children. This also ensures that in case there is a law enforcement intervention conducted, the community works to maintain the positive impact of such interventions. This positive culture of supporting girls and women gives them confidence to step out of their homes and fulfill their dreams.

kishori program

Prakruthi identifies areas where children are vulnerable to some form of trauma, violence or abuse.

We focus on programs for adolescent girls in these areas and empower low income students to remain safe and learn about education and economic opportunities to advance themselves, Prakruthi works on preventing them from a state of vulnerability. Our Kishori program focuses mainly on adolescent girls between 12-17 years of age. It leverages existing government and non-profit programs such as menstrual health awareness and English language training that are designed to not only protect but also aid in their development. This is done by creating groups of 10-15 adolescent girls in identified vulnerable areas and building a communication system with them to ensure that they have the best safety, health and education.

The program aims to achieve the active involvement of these girls in empowering and protecting themselves and building a relationship of trust with the adults in the community, teaching them how to read situations by equipping them with knowledge and awareness on matters of personal safety and eventually making the children confident to find resolutions to any issues themselves and becoming their best, well-rounded self in spite of it all. By supporting these girls to remain safe, seek educational opportunities and skills, and be supported they will be made less vulnerable and be supported to have more successful economic outcomes for themselves and their community.

student clubs

Students play a critical role in ensuring behavior change on how girls and women are treated in society.

We will support student clubs on the challenges faced by girls and women in the current society and how they can positively ensure they are creating a safe environment in society for girls and women. Student clubs work on building awareness within their campus and participate in general awareness building activities.

This empowers building a culture of respecting and supporting girls and creates a healthy environment for girls to flourish in actualizing their educational and overall potential and making the greatest contributions to their own lives and society.

social programs

Prakruthi identifies areas where children are vulnerable to some form of trauma, violence or abuse.

Creating an atmosphere of safety and growth through sustainable solutions that will mitigate or end precarious conditions for the girl child and lead to equal opportunities for social, economic and cultural development.

casework

Prakruthi conducts case work with beneficiaries who have experienced exploitation and violence on a one-to-one basis for their social development. Prakruthi creates Individual Care Plans for each beneficiary. Apart from one-on-one sessions, case work is done in a holistic manner through a mix of programs such as skills training, focus group discussions, school enrollment, leadership training, peer group development, and job readiness training. The objective is to create a plan that works for each girl so that she may socially develop and thrive.

counseling

For beneficiaries who go through complex trauma that can lead to serious mental or emotional disorders, including feelings of guilt, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and eating disorders, Prakruthi supports beneficiaries to rebuild their lives through counseling as a key intervention. Prakriti uses counseling techniques to support the healing and social development of girls who have been through exploitation. Through mental health programs especially trauma informed counseling, Prakruthi works with victims of trauma to help them heal from their trauma, identify what is important in their lives, and help them to explore their feelings, thoughts, and overcome their past and set specific goals for the future; thus helping them become productive members of society.

legal assistance

Prakruthi provides pro bono legal support and services to beneficiaries who have cases related to exploitation. The support provided is intentional in making the process centered around accountability towards those who are otherwise defenceless. We induct our beneficiaries about their rights, in a manner that is not intimidating and helps them have the greatest outcomes. With an innovative approach to law, combining groundbreaking legal theory and creativity in practice the work inspires change within the legal system and outside. Legal support provided to victims and advocacy with the criminal justice system aims to alter institutional behaviour to ensure that it protects those most vulnerable.

digital classrooms

For the past 30 years, Prakruthi has delivered gamified digital education programs to teach English to vulnerable children.

From our work putting computers in slums to schools in war zones, we have always believed access to education is a key mechanism to empower girls to have the greatest economic empowerment. Through digital education, Prakruthi supports students to develop their love for learning, confidence, and removes socioeconomic barriers created by not knowing English so they can have an equitable future. The aim is for students who participate to develop the ability to converse in basic English and improve their performance in other subjects besides English and eventually gain access to increased employment opportunities.

skilling

Prakruthi has for over a decade provided skills training to girls.

In 2022, we are continuing our legacy of empowering girls with skills. These programs are focused on tapping into interest areas that inspire our beneficiaries and giving them the neccessary skills to support their professional development and success in their interest area.

covid response

From the Kerala floods to COVID-19, Prakruthi has always been delivering support to communities during natural disasters and other crises.

Alongside our volunteer force, our donor and partner Akshaya Patra, and other local donors, we have been providing food and water to those hardest hit by COVID-19.