Saksham

India's adolescent population, which is around 243 million, is a significant portion of the country's total population, and the well-being and development of this group is crucial for the future of the country. Of this 120 million are girls. Ensuring access to quality education and health services for adolescents is essential to empower them and prepare them for successful transition into adulthood. Programs such as vocational training, education, and mentorship opportunities can help them acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to find employment and contribute to their communities.

*National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights

A high number of adolescent girls and women face adverse conditions when it comes to access to education or good healthcare, leading to various issues in their day-to-day life. United Way Mumbai's "Project Saksham" focuses on these aspects, principally in relation to adolescent girls and women from underprivileged groups, to improve their chances for a better future. The programme is being implemented at a shelter home for women and comprises 3 key components.

Saksham - Project Components

I: Providing opportunities for vocational training through a scholarship programme

Through the project, UWM promotes vocational training courses (animation, graphic designing, fashion technology, beautician courses, etc.) to women who demonstrate talent and commitment towards them. The program will select 20 women through aptitude tests, recommendations and interviews and provide financial support of INR 15,000/- to each of them so that they can pursue the course of their choice. The scholarship amount will be used for course fees and required stationery.

II: Adventure camp for personal safety training and stress release techniques

Most of the women from underprivileged groups regularly face harassment, including physical, mental, sexual, etc. UWM will organize a personal safety cum stress release camp for a group of women who are identified as vulnerable or have been victims of harassment. This camp will help to build their capacity for survival and to create network/support groups for necessary assistance.

III: Health enquiry, referral and health maintenance

UWM will also focus on providing support for women's health through multiple interventions including awareness training, health camps, referrals and provision of sanitation and hygiene material for daily use.

Awareness training sessions will include multiple methods like group training sessions, one-to-one discussions, etc. and focus on key aspects of preventive health, such as personal hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, menstrual health, etc. The women will also receive basic health screening by professional gynaecologists, free of cost voluntary blood testing for Complete Blood Count, diabetes screening and anthropometric measurements.

Women with medical issues will be referred to nearby public health clinics for further evaluation and will be accompanied by project staff to ensure treatment compliance. UWM will also provide the shelter home with monthly health and hygiene supplies, including cleaning solutions, sanitary napkins, personal hygiene products, etc. The aim is to promote personal hygiene practices to reduce the occurrence of infectious diseases.

Saksham

Latest Updates

Monthly health kit

29th October 2020

Stress Management Workshop

10th August 2019

A Stress Management workshop was conducted under Project Saksham, on 10th August 26, 2019, with the help of Samaritans Mumbai. The activities were conducted to help participants to understand their feelings. At the session, participants were asked to write down what was bothering them that day or in the recent past and how they felt about it.

Through a role-play session, the Samaritans team demonstrated the possible ways in which we deal with stressful situations and tackled the issue of why we don't usually share our feelings easily.

Saksham Scholarship Announcement

29th July 2019

The ‘Saksham Scholarship Programme’ focuses on enhancing employability and skill-building among young women from underprivileged backgrounds, through training courses such as animation, graphic designing, fashion technology, beautician courses, etc. As part of the programme, 20 women applied for the scholarships for skills training of their choice. The selection process included aptitude tests and personal interviews. The scholarship amount is used for course fees, conveyance and stationery.

An award ceremony was organised on 29th July 2019, to announce awardees of the Saksham Scholarships. An ice-breaking activity was conducted at the event with the Bloomberg team and participants for rapport building, after which the Bloomberg team and the participants were divided into 7 groups of 4-5 members for the group discussion. The Bloomberg team helped the participants to confidently talk about their chosen course. The participants presented the details of their course, the reason for their choice and how it will help them become financially independent. After the presentation, Bloomberg and the UWM team awarded Saksham Scholarships to ten women.

Project Saksham Launch

2nd May 2019

Project Saksham was launched on 2nd May 2019 at the Bloomberg office with an orientation and introduction by the UWM team. At the launch, a session on ‘Public Speaking and Self-Confidence’ was organized by Bloomberg, followed by a discussion on challenges such as fear, lack of self-confidence and the flow and duration of speeches.

At the end of the event, the Bloomberg team conducted an office tour for the participants, which served as an exposure visit to understand the workplace. A Health kit and stationery kit were also distributed by the Bloomberg team to the participants.

Women's Day Celebrations

8th March 2019

International women’s day is celebrated every year on 8th March. This year, on the occasion, UWM conducted a session on the basics of nutrition, health and hygiene for women and adolescent girls, who are participants in Project Saksham. The UWM team conducted an orientation for the participants on the project and its activities, which was followed by the beneficiary introductions.