| He responded to his problem by quickly arranging the furniture and his lifeline; his books, typewriter and files, within easy reach of his arms to suit his new parameters. After his graduation with a degree in Sociology in 1974 (which he attended on a stretcher) Vineet's father died. His mother had to work to support the family while Vineet became a freelance writer for mainstream publications to help support the family. |
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| After meeting Mother Theresa and her nuns, he was most inspired and began helping them and visited many slums. As he became more involved, the program leaders became increasingly impressed with Vineet and the local Bishop invited him to discuss a program for school dropouts and unskilled youth. This discussion was the inspiration for the Society he formed in 1980. |
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| Vineet's thoughts still exist in the form of his work in some of the largest slums in Chandigarh. He had also extended his concern for the unemployed by launching several programs for the youths' families, peer groups, neighbours and children, as these were the social groups that comprised the youth's immediate environment. His hopes to effect a qualitative change in their lifestyle led him to initiate programs like VAMA (a training and income-generation program for women) and Pustak (a non-formal school for slum children). |
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| Vineet continued to be involved in writing and editing projects in addition to his fourteen-hour days at the Society. He also published a newsletter on local issues, The City Courier. He was a popular poet with most of his poetry illustrated and published in his own calligraphic handwriting and appearing in numerous publications. |
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| For his Commendable work in the area of social service, he was awarded the ASHOKA FELLOWSHIP AWARD (1995) and 9TH RED & WHITE BRAVERY AWARD (1999). The Government of India decorated him with The NATIONAL AWARD for CHILD WELFARE for the year2002. |
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HISTORY OF YTTS
YTTS informally started in 1980 by Late Vineet Khanna (1955-2001) was registered in 1986. He had the view that young people without work quickly grow disillusioned, become involved in anti-social behaviour, and remain dependent on their extended families rather than establishing their own adult lives. To overcome this predicament he started providing hands-on technical training to unskilled, unemployed youth and opened up job opportunities for them. Unlike other placement organizations, the Society facilitated the placement of youth in jobs in reputed companies. As apprentices in a wide network of host "associate companies," they acquired training and work experience. The technical training offered by the Society included that for mechanics, carpenters and electricians. |
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| Vineet launched his program during the 80’s during the period of militancy in the Punjab. The Society provided the youth with an alternative, constructive example and several hundred were placed in suitable jobs. Many such youth gained experience and started their own enterprises. By the Nineties, the Punjab problems was resolved, and large number of formal Technical Training Institutions came up, and need for informal technical training for youth declined. Peace brought a large number of migrants who formed slums and created a new set of problems. |
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| Soon the focus shifted from Youth to Children who accompanied the migrants. The ‘Pustak’ program has been very successful in guiding the slum, working and street children & preparing them for schools. Slowly we started working with other members of their families. Now our programs encompass the women, old ladies, youth and handicapped. |
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| In 1991 YTTS was selected to run the Street Children Program by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Later it was shifted to the Ministry of Women & Child Development. |
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| 1998 CASA agreed to support a Child & Women Empowerment program of ours in H.P. |
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| 1999 saw the CRS agree to channelise its Nutrition program, through us for the children and people needing special health care and not covered by our other programs. |
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| After Vineet’s untimely death in 2001, there was a short period of instability, which ended when in 2002, P H Vaishnav a former Chief Secretary of Punjab was persuaded to become the President. Since he had known Vineet very well, he made the guiding central principal as the “Spirit of Vineet†|
| He converted the organisation from belonging to an individual to becoming a public one and managed by professionals answerable to the Executive Committee, and in turn to the general body of members. Slowly the membership was broad-based, and reached a figure of a hundred. He created an infrastructure with the help the public agencies, right next to the very people who are the society’s beneficiaries. |
| In Aug 2003, YTTS became the Support organisation of Childline in Chandigarh. Later it also became a Nodal (on a temporary and honorary basis). This network serves over 80 cities of the country, and is supported by Ministry of Women and Child Development. |
| In 2006, YTTS along with 12 other organisations floated an organisation called ‘Mountain Forum Himalayas’, which focuses on the problems of the people living in Mountains and how to solve their problems. |
| In the same year, YTTS was allotted the prestigious Working Children’s project by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. |
| YTTS started a project for Old Women from poor areas to be called Baghban. It was later handed over to Chandigarh Senior Citizen Association, creating a new experiment in inter NGOs cooperation. |
| In 2007, YTTS and Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh forged a new chapter by becoming partners in helping the poor of the UT, where we were lease out five properties of the Corporation to run programs. |
| In 2008 a program to prepare a Hundred Professionals out of those in slum and rural areas was launched. It has support from many organisations. |
| On 05 May 2009, we lost our dear President PH Vaishnav, and as though he had a premonition, he had requested one of his favourite younger colleagues Mr KR Lakhanpal IAS (Retd), a former Chief Secretary Punjab (like himself) to succeed him. |
| On 03 Jun 2009, Mr Lakhanpal was unanimously elected President YTTS. |
| July 2009, we launched Project Prafulla – in honour of Mr Vaishnav-(his first name was Prafulla). It is to provide support for the younger girls - a subject dear to his heart. |
