India Youth Fund - Mobilizing the present, accelerating the future!

[Kunal V Jaiswal]

Here is the link to an excellent program

 

http://nsfoundation.co.in/india_youth_fund.html 

Mobilizing the present, accelerating the future!

UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation (NSF) brings to India the Indian window of the global Urban Youth Fund exclusively for young individuals working towards improving the lives of urban Indian Youth. The India Youth Fund, an initiative of UN-Habitat and NSF, aims to advance youth empowerment in India through the provision of small grants, up to Rs. 8 Lacs, to youth-led organizations. In addition, the project coordinators are trained in project management, financial management and monitoring and evaluation in the Asian regional training session for the Urban Youth Fund.

With her age structure, India is one of the youngest countries in the world. The urban youth, aged 13-35 years, constitute 44.77% of the total urban population. Despite the growing economy and rapid globalization, a sizeable proportion of the population does not have access to basic human rights. Both UN-Habitat and NSF recognize the importance of health and employment as factors for development and the Indian chapter of the Urban Youth Fund opens its doors to organizations working with the urban youth on issues of access to health in addition to employment, access to affordable housing and secure land tenure, safer cities and youth participation in decision-making.


Background

The India Youth Fund is part of the Global Youth Fund by the UN-HABITAT Governing Council that has so far awarded grants to 67 projects led by young people from all over the world. Officially launched in November 2008, the Global Youth Fund was created to promote the poverty reduction aims of Millennium Development Goals and the Habitat Agenda for better, more sustainable and equitable towns and cities. 


The Fund

With an annual budget of Rs. 8 Lacs/project/organization, the fund looks to provide not only financial support, but also training required for sustaining successful projects for maximum outreach. 


Eligibility

To qualify for a grant, applicant organizations must: 

 Be led by young people aged 15-32, and the projects must be based in cities or     towns in India. 

 A majority (>50%) of the management team should be within the above age limits.

 Applicant organizations must be legally registered for at least one (1) year by the     relevant national, regional or local authority.

 Applicant organizations must involve girls and young women in decision-making at all     levels of the organization. This includes senior management level and board. 

 Applicant organizations that lack a valid registration certificate or bank account, but     fulfill all other eligibility criteria, may apply in partnership with another organization     that will serve as the facilitating organization.


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