Written by Atharva Mehendale, Community Project Manager - URI North India & Afghanistan
With over six decades of experience at the grassroots, World Vision India employs proven, effective development, public engagement and relief practices empowering vulnerable children and communities living in conditions of poverty and injustice to become self-sufficient and bring lasting change. It works towards a nation where every child experiences life in all its fullness, grows in strong communities, and becomes a responsible citizen. The organisation works in 140 districts impacting around 26 lakh children and their families in over 6200 communities spread across 26 states and union territories to address issues affecting children in partnership with governments, civil societies, donors and corporates.
Mr. Amanat Masih has been associated with World Vision for more than 33 years; and has been working with their national office in Chennai since 2013. Although he retired recently, he has worked in several of World Visions areas and programs over the years – disability support, accounting and audit, field interventions, and event coordination. From 2013 to 2017, he handled World Vision’s India operations out of Chennai. Mr. Amanat has to his credit the inception of a number of organisations - which have been registered as Cooperation Circles with URI across India. Golden Way Young People for Justice and Peace Group (Golden Way YPJP), one such organisation has been associated with the North India & Afghanistan Zone of URI. Members of this organisation try to bring to life the Preamble, Purpose and Principles of URI on the ground and try to work on building a peaceful world. One of their programs is “Play for Peace”; and is focused on providing quality education in the community they serve. The organisation runs several Young People for Justice and Peace (YPJP) groups, promoting peace messages to the masses in an attractive manner. Youth empowerment, capacity building, education, income generation programs, leadership & personality development are some of the key action areas that the organization works in. It has plans to make the youth self-reliant to work and, through their careers, spread peace in their respective areas. A number of members from Golden Way YPJP have been associated with Delhi Police and have contributed as Covid-19 warriors.
Mr. Amanat Masih’s association with URI has been a rather transformative experience for him. He was motivated to absorb and translate URI’s values of communal harmony and peace in his own work. Over the years, URI has helped Mr. Amanat network with a number of individuals and organisations. He very closely works with several other CC members of the north zone on specific action areas. According to him, in spite of several community mobilization and funding problems, what keeps the association between World Vision India, Golden Way YPJP and URI strong is the shared commitment to work on interfaith issues and to promote peace, brotherhood and a sense of harmony.
