Text Box: About Praajak


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As a social development agency, Praajak works with marginalized children and adolescents. Committed to the rights of the child, its ultimate aim is to create an gender- just environment of care and protection around these children so that they grow up as more responsible, productive and law-abiding citizens.

Most of Praajak's programmes are in education, health and social rehabilitation. They are based on the active participation of the children as well as the various institutions that make up their surroundings.

Praajak works mainly with boys and youths because it sees crime, violence, sexual abuse, gambling and substance abuse as determined by the social construction of masculinity.

Gender forms the bedrock of Praajak's vision of social transformation. This was a primary motivation to set up Praajak.

Using a range of awareness-raising methods, like art and theatre workshops, Praajak seeks to restore self-esteem, social responsibility and creativity in the children in order to empower them.

Current organisational strategy with respect to intervention programmes including advocacy and community development has been developed over the last seven years, largely on the basis of our vision and mission and our field experiences. Four years ago Praajak made a conscious decision to focus on the rights of the child as the indicators for progress. This has permeated every level of the organisation across all projects.

It has also decided to place gender at the base of our social analysis right from the inception of the organisation and has also taken a considered decision to focus on urban areas. This is largely due to the fact that founding members of the organisation had considerable experience of working with gender and with related urban issues at the inception of the organisation.

Strategy is reviewed every year in workshops held for different levels of staff. This is fed back to the Governing Body and our volunteer corps. Suggestions are incorporated and the strategy is then placed in front of project staff to develop and implement plans accordingly.

Text Box: Updated by Praajak Team as at 10 Jan 2006