''Prayas JAC Society'' is a

Non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

based in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, India. It was founded in June 1988 by ex-Delhi DCP Amod Kanth after a fire destroyed makeshift homes and ragged shelters built by children in the

slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...

s of Jahangirpuri in

. Amod K Kanth, former Director General of Police(DGP) of

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...

cadre and DCP for Crime in

, was posted in

when the fire broke out and he visited the site of the fire as part of his duty and was concerned on welfare of children and this prompted the birth of Prayas in a one-room in Jahangirpuri with the help of friends from the

Delhi Police The Delhi Police (DP) is the law enforcement agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi Police falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. In 2024, the sanctioned strength of Delhi Police w ...

and the Delhi School of Social Work in a small way.

Recognition

The charity received international recognition for anti-trafficking initiatives by the 2006

Trafficking in Persons Report The Trafficking in Persons Report, or the TIP Report, is an annual report issued since 2001 by the U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. It ranks governments based on their perceived efforts to acknowledge a ...

published by the US

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...

. Amod Kanth, the head of

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

and founder of ''Prayas'', was commended as an international "model of public service" for his efforts on behalf of India's children. Prayas has responded to the earthquake of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

in January 2001, the tsunami in

Andaman and Nicobar Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India comprising 572 islands, of which only 38 are inhabited. The islands are grouped into two main clusters: the northern Andaman Islands and the southern Nicobar Islands, separated by a ...

in 2004, the floods in

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

the earthquake in India and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

in 2016, and the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The organization also runs 24×7 Childline 1098 which is functional at six locations of

New Delhi Railway Station New Delhi railway station (station code: NDLS) is the primary railway hub for the Indian capital, New Delhi, and an integral part of Indian Railways. Situated in Central Delhi, approximately 2 kilometers north of Connaught Place, the station ...

, Janhagirpuri, Bawana (Delhi), Raxaul and

Samastipur Samastipur is a City and Municipal Corporation in Bihar, India. It is the headquarter of Samastipur district and comes under Darbhanga division. The Burhi Gandak River flows through the city. It is one of the five railway divisions of ECR, H ...

(Bihar) and

to support the distressed children along with their families during the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic and lockdown. In 2021, the organisation had partnered with an agency of the

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

government to train 100 beggars who had been selected for various vocational training and skill jobs. The programme is a

public–private partnership A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sectors, private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Revie ...

conducted in association with Dr Niraj K Pawan, Principal Secretary of Labour, Skilling and Rehabilitation, and is planned for entire state of

to make the state "BhikhariMukt" or "beggar free". In 2000,the organisation had launched the Rape Crisis Intervention Centre, presently known as One-Stop Crisis Centre, to help the victims of sexual assault, particularly minor girls, in the presence of then Minister of State for Social Justice

Maneka Gandhi Maneka Gandhi (also spelled Menaka; ''née'' Anand) (born 26 August 1956) is an Indian politician, animal rights activist, and environmentalist. She served as a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, and is a member ...

and

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

Sahib Singh Verma. The organisation is also involved in introducing large number of other programmes in collaboration with the government and private institutions which include the Jan Shikshan Sansthan under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship since 2000, DUSIB, Asian Foundation, Freedom Fund, Adoption Centrum, NSDC, Coca-Cola, National Scheduled Caste Financial Development Corporation, National Backward Class Financial Development Corporation, Schneider Electric India Foundation Ltd, BC Jindal Electrician and Plumbing Training Programme and the Tata Power Delhi Development (TPDDL) project and also partnering with various government agencies and making efforts in the formulation of policies, strategies and played a role in the formulation of the Tenth Plan and the re-enactment and implementation of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, National Policy and Charter for Children and National Commission for Protection of Children Rights.

Collaborations

Prayas has collaborated with the Rotaract Club of DTU Regency to organize visits from their members. In these visits, the members teach the children at Prayas. Further, additional morally sound life advice and tips are given to them.

References

{{Non-government Organizations in India Children's charities based in India Organisations based in Delhi 1988 establishments in Delhi