REACHING YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK
Aasha is a project that works with young people who are involved in gangs or are on the fringe of joining one
MAKING REAL CHANGE
Aasha stands for change. We are here to empower young people to create positive change within themselves and those around them
GANG DEGLAMOURISATION
Aasha seeks to support young people involved in conflicts/violence by resisting involvement
The two circles of reach
Although the project works intensively with a group of 8-12 young people, its reach is far greater than that. Each of these young people are engaged from different peer groups belonging to the same locality. Therefore, during activities, they are able to reach and engage a large number of youth that could not have been reached by Aasha staff alone. This is a more natural and organic approach to community engagement. Equipped with guidance and support from staff and the necessary tools and resources, the Peer Workers deliver positive provisions to their peers (other young people within their localities).
Reflective practice
Experiential learning can only take place effectively if there is reflective practice built into the process as described by Kolb’s Learning Cycle . The project incorporates this as an integral feature in activity design and implementation. Each activity is always followed by a debrief session and often with a separate review session of its own. This gives opportunity for the young people to explore the benefits, learning points, improvements and implications of the experience.
Role modelling
As affirmed by a recent YJB report: "Absence of positive role models can lead to ‘gang’ involvement" The Aasha Project utilises role modelling as a key element in creating change. Young people naturally look to others to emulate and follow. In the absence of positive role models, they often adopt negative role models both from media such as gangster rappers and from the local community such as well known drug dealers. Through sustained contact with positive community leaders in the shape of Aasha staff and volunteers, the peer workers are provided with an alternative role model that they can interact with and observe over a long period of time. Each peer worker is also encouraged to adopt positive attitudes and model positive behaviour for others in their community.
Creating leadership
Creating youth leadership is really what the project hopes to achieve. Most interventions targeting hard to reach youth last for a short period of time, offer quick fixes and then don’t have an effective long term strategy. We hope that through our intervention, we will be able to impart a vision, provide skills and experiences that would enable the peer workers to have a direction in life but also be able to function as a group outside and beyond Aasha. That way they would be able to run their group in a self sufficient manner continuing the process of change in their locality – inspiring others in turn.