We had the pleasure of welcoming members of YMCA India recently, to talk about the work we do and to learn about the work they carry out in their respective regions across India.
Our CEO Emily Brock met with Joydeep Rayan Raychaudhuri, the Regional Secretary for the Northern India Region of YMCAs; Sabinay Behera, the General Secretary of YMCA Balasore; and Rev. Sudhansu Naik, the General Secretary of YMCA Bhubaneswar.
Like us, both YMCA Balasore and YMCA Bhubaneswar focus heavily on working with young people. They talked about how they work with the German YMCA to help educate children living in slums by offering tailored computer training for the young people living there. They also spoke about the peace programmes they have set up with YMCA of Hong Kong to try to prevent inter-faith crime and violence.
Young people make up 60% of the population in India and our visitors explained how important it was for them to help these young people access education and employment, so that they can build a secure future.
It was fascinating to learn how YMCA India operates and the differences and similarities that we share. With each YMCA focusing on what their community needs, it is sometimes easy to forget that we are part of a global federation, all striving to support people within the community we serve.
This meeting brought to light the enormity of the YMCA movement and how important the work of each federation is around the world.
