Abhi...I am delighted to see your entry in the final round. You rock dear. Participating in your street play campaign was a turning point for me. After completing my grad, I have joined an organization and owkring on the issue of homeless. I learnt a lot from you and it is helping me. I truly wish that you win this competition. It was great meeting you once again in Mumbai. You inspire me. All the best...Vandana

Dear Abhishek. Great to know that your hard work is getting acknowledeg at prestigious forums. My best wishes are always with you. I am sure your visionary efforts will help homeless youth to get their due share in our country. God Bless....Jyoti

Abhishek bhai, congratulation for reaching through the final round. Your passion, dedication and creativity is very inspiring. I was speechless when I visited your work area during Night-out in the month of December. I salute your charming leadership style. I was impressed by your idea of creating alternative livelihood for homeless youth. Indeed, your efforts have helped homeless youth to realise their dreams and hidden potential. With the increased earning capacity, I am sure they would be able to break their vicious circle of poverty. Homelessness is a growing issue across cities and there is an urgent need to adddress it. I would be delighted to get associated with your activites again in all possible capacity. Wish you all the best in your efforts. You deserve it....Love...Nanu

Dear Abhisekh,

I am very happy with your drive to make the diffrence in the area of providing shelter for the homeless. India definately needs a policy on this front. I am sure your effort would highlight the issue at a macro level where despite of inundating investmens and robust growth, the country lacks in providing basic services. I also hope that your project and your ideas get interest and accepted by relevant institutions and individuals so that you get the necessary support to scale up your projects. Wishing you all the best

What can I say? The work you are doing is BEYOND inspiring. Here, in Washington, DC, we have our share of homelessness, more specifically boys and young men who are homeless.

We, at Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Inc. (Go to www.lifepieces.org for more info.) enjoy a very productrive partnerniship with Covenant House Washington, a nanational non-profit that provides support to homeless youth in our area. So many of our apprentices ( participants) have endured homelessness and this is definitely an area in which we look to program partners to assist us.

Your application truly moved me and I thank you.

In Peace

Mary Brown
Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Inc.

bharadwajabhi response to Changemakers
Q: What other resources, institutional, or policy needs would be necessary to help sustain and scale up your idea?

>It is disheartening to see hard working homeless youth sleep on dusty pavement under
>the dark sky in night, dulled by air pollution with the surroundings of deafening
>noises of the vehicles and harsh street lights.

I lived in Tiruchirapalli (State of Madras, India) and New Delhi between 1966-1973 when I was a student and during the summer months, the best place to sleep was on top of the roof. Yes, even at that time I did see workers sleep on beds that are placed out for the night and outside the shops they work. One of the reasons was also for security of the shops. In Beijing (90s), many restaurant workers sleep in the dinning halls (with rolled out mattresses) after working hours.

In Kampala and Nairobi, minimum-wage workers often need to spend half their salary for a small room; so they often team up with others to split the rent. A cheap room is difficult to find as land and "proper" housing are often not available or being controlled by the "wrong" people.

>There is an urgent need for shelter.........
>School buildings are unutilized during night time and
>it can be used effectively.

I am hesitant with this approach of using school buildings (during the night time).

>There is an urgent requirement for communication devices, .....
>....that will help homeless youth get connected with the market
>and will also increase their income capacity.

How does this help ..... Please elaborate.

Project "Children's Village and Vocational Centre" (CVVC), Kenya (http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/3940) face similar problems but fortunately I am dealing with after care services of youths after their probation and for vulnerable youths who have been cared for by NGOs and other institutions.

It is true that there are many more other less fortunate youths who are at risk and do not have a proper place to stay.

regards
jacky foo

bharadwajabhi reponse to the changemakers question
Q: What is your plan to scale and expand your innovation into your community and beyond?
>Since its founding in 2003, my organization has reached out to more than 50,000 homeless
>citizens. I have ambitious plans for future, including an education and vocational-training
>initiatives for homeless Youth and construction of a transti sheter which will house up
>to 50,000 homeless citizens over the next five years.

Between 2003 and 2007, have you built any transit shelters for the homeless ?
If not, what were the hurdles preventing you from doing it ?

rgerads
jacky foo
++++
Children's Village and Vocational Centre (CVVC), Kenya
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/3940

Hello Abhishek,

You mention that "there is an urgent requirement for communication devices, like mobile sets and computers that will help homeless youth get connected with the market and also increase their income capacity." Have you considered trying to forge some kind of technology partnership with someone who might be able to donate those items? Also, you mention the Labour-Hub a few times. Could you explain what the Labour-Hub is? Is it a computer lab?

Lastly, it looks like you currently have some good sources of funding. What are you planning for long term financial sustainability? Have you thought of getting corporate sponsorship?
Thank you for your response.
Dana Frasz
Changemakers

Hello Abhishek! It is great to see your entry in the competition. You are doing some very impressive work! Could you tell me a bit more about the way in which you are working to get state organizations to formulate policies in favor of the homeless? Also, is there any part of Alternative Realities that work on job training?
Keep up the great work!
Dana

Many thanks for your encouraging comment. You are absolutely right, Night-out activity is very effective in bridging the gap and addressing the issue of homelessness. There are groups of Homeless youth and yes the members of homeless community wrtie abd create street plays on topics/issues they deal with. It is again a very effective way to sensitize others on the issue and give homelessness a visibilty. We have created a musical band of homeless youth, who write and sing songs as well that is called EHSAS (Feelings). Another this on which we are working is Labour-Hub, which will increase the bargain power of homeless youth and enhance their income capacity. Bsides we are also involved in creating homeless humanity chain, candle walk, moonlight meetings and so on. Great number of people participate in all these activities and these activites have been of great support in advocating for the cause. Recenlty I ahve collaborated with BBC UK and volunteers are coming forward to experience homelessness for 24 hours, which is helpful is breaking the negative taboo such as homeless are lazy. I would love to give you details about my acitivities, should you need any. Wishes always..

Abhishek Bharadwaj
Founder President
Alternative Realities
"I would walk with all those who walk. I would not stand still to watch the procession passing by"
=============
Webpages:
http://www.srtt.org/changelooms_intro.html
http://www.humanscape.org/Humanscape/2005/Oct/visible .php
http://www.ashoka.org/changelooms
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20050822&fname=PNamrata&sid=1&pn=4
http://epaperarchive.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?
Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA1LzA0LzE0I0FyMDAzMDI=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1849389,000600010004.htm
http://www.indianngos.com/award/ashoka1.htm
http://in.news.yahoo.com/061113/211/69c60.html
http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/news_details.asp?news_id =207
http://bharadwajabhi.blogspot.com/
www.tiss.edu/Alumni_in_Press020.pdf
http://www.youthactionnet.org /member_projects.cfm?proj_id=750

Hi Abhishek,

I'm intrigued by the Night-Out activity because it addresses both class issues and poverty at the same time. It gives an oppurtunity for people to demonstrate solidarity with people who they would otherwise not meet or socialize with. It is deeply humanizing, giving faces to a problem that is often viewed in numbers. Concerning the plays; do the members of the homeless communinty write and create them on topics they deal with? Are there other artistic endevours that the community could pursue?

Robert