Yuvati and Yuvak Vibhag
A model has been evolving in Yuvati and Yuvak Vibhag for the development of Organisational Attitude at different ages.
Age 11 – 14: A child of this age starts to state their likes and dislikes. They can enjoy working in groups. They can feel pride in individual, team and national achievements and also feel the pain in shortcomings of the individuals, teams and society around them.
For children of this age, therefore, Yuvati and Yuvak vibhag organize “dal” (दल) on daily or weekly basis. Children come together to play rigorous games and do exercises to improve their physical capacities. Emphasis is on team games, rather than on individual games. They are given different tasks – individual tasks, pair tasks and group tasks to develop their team skills. They are taken to simple 1-day return treks. They participate in local festivals to feel the energy. They are given simple entrepreneurship development activities like selling children's magazine or seasonal items, to expose them to world outside their normal experiences. Annual intergroup sports competitions amongst “dals”, and many intra-group competitions within a dal itself are arranged to develop the hunger for betterment. Many of the activities offer opportunities to children to develop their leadership skills on multiple occasions. Inspirational stories and poems are also taught to them, to help them embrace the traditions of our nation.
Age 14 – 18: A teenager of this age starts to think independently, learns to commit for short or long durations, and can undertake resolutions to bring a change about in themselves. Along with the enjoyment in working in a group, now they can plan their work in groups and can feel the joy in working for others. Apart from the emotional need to connect with the feelings of the society, they can start analyzing the working of the world around them. They can feel pride in individual, team and national achievements and also feel the pain in shortcomings of the individuals, teams and society around them.
For children of this age, therefore, Yuvati and Yuvak vibhag continue to organize dal on a daily or weekly basis. For ages 11 to 18, daily interactions are encouraged, but weekly dal can be conducted for want of facilitators and space. More rigour is introduced sports and exercises and all physical activities. Even treks are undertaken on residential basis to challenge the physical stamina and endurance. Complexities in individual, pair and group tasks is increased, to enhance and challenge mental and intellectual capacities.
A key feature for this group is the "Vidyavrat Sanskar" (विद्याव्रत संस्कार), wherein these teenagers vow to become autonomous or self-sufficient in the organization of attaining education. The locus of control is to be transferred from mentors or teachers to the teenagers themselves. Students take up resolutions and try to follow them committedly. These resolutions are made for the development of physical, mental, intellectual, social and spiritual developments. Various lectures, activities, group discussions are conducted to impress the importance of taking efforts for self-developments, followed by a spiritual ceremony of receiving a sacrament symbolizing the rigour in following resolutions.
Teenagers in JP are challenged to undertake trade or sale or even manufacturing activities of larger scale. They are required to attend rigorous 4-5 days sports camps challenging their endurance. Those who group around science as medium rather than sports are required to undertake training in inquiry based learning and investigatory project methodology
In sphere of embracing the society, JP teenagers perform vibrant form of war-dance called barchi-nritya (short wooden sticks that used to carry spear-like weapons) in front of deities in various cultural festivals around them. Those who work around science as medium to group together, present experiments to the society-at-large around the festivities. Apart from the festivities, teenagers also visit villages to study the rural livelihood, or meet various eminent personalities to understand their work.
Age 18 – 23: A youth of this age starts to act independently, faces problems in multi-tasking, and is adjusting to the world around them not being any more so supportive of them. In fact, the youth face the challenge of managing the expectations of parents, friends, and society around them in this age. In acting independently, they are learning to manage their own shortcomings, at the same time improving their own strengths and trying new ventures on their own.
For the youth of this age, therefore, Yuvati and Yuvak vibhag continue to organize dal generally on a weekly basis. Mediums like sports and science are continued to gather around, along with a few experiments in arts, environment etc. They take up short camps, and workshops to understand various details of the world around them, and can take up long-term projects, and internships to work upon.
In this age, the man-making philosophy of Jnana Prabodhini, meant for the development of Knowledge, Skills, Attitude, and Motivation for work gets manifested fully. Youth is meant to set career goals and life goals for themselves. JP youth wings help the youth in this journey by
- Asking youth to take as much exposure as possible, by visiting different states, institutions, meeting persons, individual tasks, etc
- Making them participate in various trainings, workshops, lectures, seminars, experiential activities, etc
- Training them in skills by organizing camps, entrepreneurial activities, and internships projects
- Challenging them to solve problems of society by designing unique, large-scale, long-term solutions.
A framework like Vidyavrat (meant for ages 14-18) is under development for youth (ages 19-23). It is called "Veer-Vrat" (वीरव्रत)(autonomy in the management of efforts). Close mentorship to help identify strengths and weaknesses in one’s personality, taking up long-term resolutions to work on oneself, and owning up to challenges that test the force of the personality are prominent features of the Veer-Vrat process.
Age 23 and above:
Fully mature, organized youth can venture into an enterprise on their own. They can build, and lead teams, solve problems, regenerate the required work-force, train their colleagues, and deal with societal pressures.
Networking and sharing with similar members of the organization helps in this period. Currently, the youth wings offer this much, through incidental or occasional meetings.
Mentors for the Youth
All objectives set for various age groups have to be achieved through various activities. Gathering new entrants, having meaningful conversations with the freshers, helping them in their journey of self-development requires close mentorship from youth just 3-4 years older than the age-group of freshers or new members. Tai ('elder sister' in many vernacular languages of India) and Dada ('elder brother' in many vernacular languages of India) develop special bonds with the members. They help members in their journey for multiple years to learn team-skills, leadership-skills, and soft-skills. They facilitate the training and participation of all youth in various activities of JP. They help them set career goals and life goals.
JP believes that instead of much old teachers, this band of energetic youth, just a step ahead in the journey of their own self-development, motivate the youth more efficiently to work for nation.
However, this leadership is not left to chance. Rigorous training for development of this leadership is arranged on a weekly basis. They are taught advanced leadership skills and are given a chance to participate in JP’s nation-building work. They can also work as interns with senior karyakartas of JP to develop insights into social enterprises. Such rigorous training helps establish a robust regenerative effort, wherein newer members take up leadership positions and help expand the work of youth organization beyond JP Centres.
Social Impact of Youth Organization
The rigorous, well-planned training of youth should never happen in an isolated manner, away from society. JP believes that youth should work for nation-building. While working for nation-building, with a view to understanding social problems, one can develop the required skills and become entrepreneurial in one’s own approach. In other words, youth can set up life goals that involve efforts for nation-building and develop a career at the same time.
This effort translates into some useful social applications.
1. Building of wells in the draught-prone area
2. Relief and rehabilitation work in areas hit by natural disasters
3. Personality development camps (of short durations of 3-4 days)
4. Blood donation camps
5. Systematic effort to lessen waywardness in social festivals
6. Training in soft skills and educational activities for other educational institutes
More details regarding strength, current activities of Yuvak Vibhag and Yuvati Vibhag are provided in respective pages mentioned below
1) Yuvati Vibhag, Pune - Instagram: jp_yuvativibhag
2) Yuvak Vibhag, Pune- Instagram: jp_yuvakvibhag
3) Yuvati Vibhag, Nigdi- Instagram: yuvak_vibhag_nigdi
4) Yuvak Vibhag, Nigdi- Instagram: yuvativibhag
5) Yuvak Vibhag, Solapur - Instagram: jnana_prabodhini_solapur
6) Yuvati Vibhag, Harali
7) Yuvak Vibhag, Harali
8) Yuvak Vibhag, Chiplun
9) Activities for Youth Organization at other Centres
Connect Yuvati vibhag at : https://www.facebook.com/jnanaprabodhiniyuvativibhag