History
Catalyst India Previous Project History
TGiS-Thank God it’s Saturday! (2007-2010)
Thank God its Saturday (TGiS) was the first initiative of Catalyst and it was with about 10 kids and 2 volunteers to over 50 kids and 15 volunteers. The children were invited from the streets to come together and, along with the volunteers, had a time of interaction and games every Saturday evening at Sarita Vihar DDA Park. It was a safe place to come and play for these children. The children got the chance to be a child and not a provider while the volunteers received a new perspective towards life on the streets and street children as children and not as ‘beggars’. The volunteers gradually emerged into mentors and role models for these children. The program caught the eyes of the neighborhood as well as media and was recorded and televised by an international new channel emphasizing on the fact that people involvement on one to one basis can really bring desired change in the society.
Catalyst involved the street children of Okhla Flyover and the middle class volunteers and built long term relationships with both the groups through TGiS. The program also provided Catalyst the inroads to the community. With regular interactions the deeper needs of Delhi City were identified by involving them in programs of Catalyst India. The three major groups-Adolescent Girls, Adolescent & Young Boys and Young Couples were identified who were in high risk and interventions were needed. The time and research were induced to design the appropriate programs to address the needs of three groups who were at high risk.
Over 50 street children benefited from TGiS.
Story:
Kajol : 9 years old Kajol was living under the Okhla flyover with 200 other families, with no walls to keep her safe, no toilets to relieve herself in private and a railway track close by as her playground. As many other kids who lost their lives on that railway track and many more that lost their limbs, Kajol too had to forfeit her leg in an accident on the same track. Through TGiS she was brought to Catalyst home program in 2010. Diversion Home gave her safety, security, sense of belongingness and proper hygienic living conditions. She was provided with an artificial leg and education along with other skill trainings and career counseling. She prepared in Horizon home where she completed her graduation from Delhi University and also completed the Computer Course. She constantly worked in improving her English communication skills. Her journey of transformation from street o TGiS to Diversion to Horizon has been remarkable. She is now an independent adult girl working in a private company.
Reboot-Care and Support for young families -2008-2015
Reboot is an initiative to help families stuck in the trap of poverty to restart their lives. It was started as a care and support program for the migrant and displaced young couples and families in Delhi. Many people and families from villages and small towns continue to come to Delhi city due to severe economic conditions and displacement because natural calamities etc. The young families come in search of better lives with very little resources and most of the time the displaced families land up with nothing. Some happen to make a better life but some barely survive, and many end up on the streets with nowhere to go and nothing to do. They become vulnerable to various crimes and abuses. Their children are more vulnerable to sexual abuses and exploitation. Through Reboot program, Catalyst India supported such families for a stipulated period of time (6 months extendable to 1 year), providing them with shelter, food, skills, training, and job assistance in order to restart their lives from a new perspective.
Story
Zulfikar & Amina: A young couple Zulfikar and Amina hailed from West Bengal and had lost everything during the flood. They with their one year old daughter came to Delhi with expectation of some job in the large city. Zulfikar had some contacts in an embroidery factory as they had the skill but the economic slowdown had taken a toll on the industry during that time. They were at the New Delhi railway station for almost a week with no money, no food, no contacts and no help from any state agency, options were non-existent.
They were rescued from their situation by Sisters of Charity and were sent to Catalyst India. After initial stabilization, counseling work on the issues of hygiene and domestic violence with the couple, both husband and wife were identified to have great talent in hand embroidery. They were provided training but the market was slow and finding job was tough. Catalyst initially employed Zulfikar initially to teach the skill to the girls of Catalyst home. Later Zulfikar was helped to receive the orders from company Cross Stitch, various buyers and export agents. Reboot program not only enabled Zulfikar to sustain his family but with his wife Amina, after a period of 2 years, both started providing employment to other people with similar skills and circumstances that they faced. A young distressed couple who had left their village with nothing in hand and whose lives were at the verge of suicide not owns a piece of land and a house as well.
A place call Home (Night Shelter for street children (2009-2011)
The harsh climatic condition of Delhi is another challenge of the city for people living in the street. The biting cold winter aggravate their vulnerabilities and to help the street children from severe risk, Catalyst started a night shelter called A Place Called home at New Friends Colony. These children not only provided the roof during the winter but this program continued to meet their deeper needs of their lives. This program also created a model for others and Delhi Government to start night shelters for the street children and people living in street.
Pinto, Rizwan, Imran and Sunder are some street boys who were then involved another project Compass f Catalyst India which was a mentorship program where they succeeded to find their way out of their street living to main stream society.
Compass (Mentorship for young boys) (2009-2012)
According to our survey over 90% of youth living on the streets, by the time they are adolescents have committed some form of crime and over 75% have been sexually active. This is the time in their lives when an intervention is most needed to help them make better life choices with sound input and guidance .These adolescents on the streets decide what direction to take in their lives mostly under pressure of poverty and lack of choices. Compass program was a mentoring program for such adolescents where each o them was connected with a volunteer modeled as an elder brother or sister-an effective relationship in their culture.
Stories
Pintoo: Pinto started his journey of transformation in 2009 when he came to take shelter in A Place Called Home. He was mentored in the project Compass. He was provided the bakery training at Red Moon Bakery, Okhla Phase I, key partner of Catalyst and then he got placement in Red Moon Bakery itself. After working for 4 years in Red Moon, he started his own bakery. He married Kajal/Kanta one of the girls of Horizon Home. Both are well settled and have a daughter.
Rizwan & Imran: Both young brothers were hailed down to Delhi in search of job from Aligarh. They were land up in the street and had to take shelter in Catalyst Night shelter. Both of them were further taken into Compass program. Rizwan was given training in Leather Factory Cross Stich and also provided job. He worked in Cross Stich for 2 years. Later he worked in Cooler manufacturing unit and then returned home. The brothers returned home and have a self owned small restaurant in Aligarh.
Care & Protection Homes Projects
Delhi being one of the fastest growing cities, one of the major reasons of its rapid growth is the tremendous migration of people from villages and small towns in search of work. Along with this there is a massive increase in poor and needy people. The significant proportions of Delhi’s children are more vulnerable who experience adverse circumstances and are very prone to abuse, exploitation and violence. The urban children face a particular set of challenges affecting their developments and the fulfillment of their aspirations. Besides these young girls from marginalized and disadvantaged family background or even the girl children from lower middle class families otherwise are highly vulnerable to trafficking and sexual exploitation especially in densely populated urban city like Delhi. Although it is accepted internationally and in India traditionally also that children are best cared in the family. However, due to unsafe environment in the family and pathetic living condition resulting in abuse and neglect of children, the alternative care has been the best option for these children at risk. Hence Catalyst initiated three different homes to care and protect them.
Diversion - Home for Girls under 18 (2009-2018)
A safe, secure and hygienic home with a capacity for 20 minor girls below 18 years, Diversion started in 2009 with 11 girls above 13 years. They were from severe vulnerable backgrounds of poverty; abuse and shame. They were provided long term shelter in this home for safety and opportunities for overall growth and development. Since it is a Child Care Institute under JJ Act, Delhi Child Welfare Committee (CWC) also referred such girls to Diversion in need of care and protection to Diversion Home. Catalyst India ensured to produce each child regularly and report the progress to CWC. The Chairperson along with members of CWC and DCPU- District Child Protection Unit also visited regularly for meeting with the children. All of them were engaged in various activities like gardening, cooking, jewellery making, beauty culture and English speaking classes etc along many awareness programs and festivals.
Each child was given individual care and they received balanced food, healthcare, education and other skills as per their needs and capacity until they attend 18 years of age. They were further transferred Catalyst India’s another home Horizon, an After Care Home under JJ Act.
In 2018 September Diversion home program concluded with 14 girls and out whom 5 girls were in regular school Kanya Vidyalaya, Dwarka with good academic performances. Rest of the girls well received the non-formal education and life skills. Catalyst smoothly transited them to different homes under CWC for longer care and protection. Some children were restored back to their families.
Horizon- Home for girls above 18 (2011-2018)
By law on attaining the age of 18 years, the girls require to leave the children home/ Child Care Institutes since they are termed as major girls or youth. However the children aging out from child care institutions are still vulnerable and become increasingly important as they are in need of aftercare services for opportunities and guidance to continue growing to their full potential. Catalyst India came up with an alternative care as Horizon home in 2012 to transit these major girls from Diversion and girls from other CCIs recommended by CWC.
During the process of transition from protected institutional care to alternative care to independent life or family reintegration, Catalyst India through Horizon Home program provided these girls with the physical, medical, psychological and educational support. They were taken care and were prepared according to their interest and capacity to bloom to life further down through various educational, awareness programs and activities. Towards a closure of Horizon aftercare home in 2018 there were 14 girls taking shelter who were given optimum opportunities to aspire and pursue their dreams which never seemed a possibility due to lack of resources, family support and abusive unsafe environment. Some were working at a part time job along with their studies from open school. 6 girls were further organized in Cohort initiated by Catalyst.
Total 31 major girls benefited.
C3 -Critical Care Centre-2016-2021 (Short Term Home for survivors of Trafficking & Sexual Abuse)
Globally men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds become the victims of human trafficking. The most sinister part of human trafficking is trafficking of minor girls for commercial sex exploitation. City like Delhi is not at all free from this menace and has emerged as a major hub for trafficking. The minor girls pay the highest price and they continue working in red light areas.
Catalyst India hearing the voice of hopelessness of the city and the cries of these innocent girls started Critical Care Center- C-3 in 2017 with aim to rescue, restore and rehabilitate. This short term home served as a safe haven for rescued girls from red lights areas and it operated in conjunction with CWC and other authorities.
In 2017 Catalyst India also planned a massive rescue operation in 2017. C3 team in conjunction with AHTU (Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Crime Branch and DCW-Delhi Commission of Women rescued 21 girls and out of them 19 were minor girls. All of them were the citizens of Nepal. They were brought to Delhi at different time intervals through deceit, fake marriages, fake promise of job opportunities, and eventually were sold off for sex trade in brothels in G B Road in Delhi. In span of two months, 19 minor girls were sent to C3 for were referred to C3 home by CWC VII for mental, emotional and physiological stabilization.
C3 continued receiving girls and the project specially focused on providing therapeutic solution to these children who had been traumatized by cruelty of the abuse they had suffered. It was designed to enhance the rate of healing from their traumas and were gradually prepared emotionally, physically, mentally and socially to be reintegrated in to their family, get long term rehabilitation or repatriated to their home town/country. Along with Psycho-social assessment all the children were provided various forms educations and trainings. They all received Non-Formal Education, Personal Hygiene & Self Care, Personality Development & English Speaking, Anger Management, Basic Baking & Cooking and Jewellery Making classes. The children with specific aptitude were provided advanced Level Baking & Cooking, Cafe Management.
Catalyst India planned a massive rescue operation in November 2017. C3 team in conjunction with AHTU (Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Crime Branch and DCW-Delhi Commission of Women rescued 21 girls and out of them 19 were minor girls. All of them were the citizens of Nepal. They were brought to Delhi at different time intervals through deceit, fake marriages, fake promise of job opportunities, and eventually were sold off for sex trade in brothels in G B Road in Delhi. In span of two months, 19 minor girls were sent to C3 for were referred to C3 home by CWC VII for mental, emotional and physiological stabilization.
More than hundred rescued girls were stabilized in C3 and continued transiting to different shelter homes for long term care, protection and rehabilitation. In May 2021 Catalyst shifted the final batch of 22 girls of C3.
Total 112 girls benefited
Story
Repatriation of Rasila and Sabina -Nepal
Rasila and Sabina were handed over to Critical Care Centre for their mental, emotional and physiological stabilization by Child Welfare Committee on 8th August 2017. Besides their basic needs, they were provided medical care, regular health checkups to overcome their anemia and malnutrition and other ailments in C3. The regular counseling was done to combat their trauma healing by professional clinical psychologist and mental health assessment was conducted. Both the girls were engaged in various activities, educations and trainings – elementary English, Mathematics and Hindi classes, vocational training such as fashion designing, jewellery making, baking classes, English speaking classes including a formal training of security guard. The lawyers were hired to pursue their cases and fight for their justice and compensation.
After 8 months of their stay CWC passed an order to C3 for repatriation of both the girls back to their native country, Nepal. A team consisting of Catalyst C3 senior social worker, a member of the rescuing team and 6 members of the 3rd battalion accompanied the girls for the journey back to Nepal on 14th March 2018. Both Rasila and Sabina were safely handed over to Transit Home, Maiti Nepal, at the Sanuali border, Nepal as per the order of CWC. On 18th March 2018, they further taken to Maiti Nepal Home in Kathmandu, Nepal where our senior social worker of C3 was permitted to meet with both the girls, who seemed a bit anxious of the new facility and environment but they were content to be back in their own country.