The Ignored, the Unprioritized
Causes that are equally important but struggle to find a space
Over the last few decades, philanthropy has been molded into a significantly more systematic method of supporting causes that promote social welfare. According to the Bain Dasra report for 2022, India’s philanthropic sector has consistently grown 12 percent annually for the last five years, with social sector expenditure being a whopping 17.5 lakh crore Indian rupees as of 2022. Even Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has expanded at a rate of 15 percent every year for the last seven years. However, only 7 percent of India’s GDP is utilized for social purposes; this need will increase by 5 percent in order to achieve our nation’s commitments towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Unfortunately, even in a progressive society, the practice of giving has stagnated. It has become a narrow stream that merely flows through the fields of education, healthcare, and natural disaster. All other causes are sparsely addressed because they are complex issues for which there is no straightforward solution, difficult to measure or have other forms of risk. The support towards all other causes is minimal , ~1 percent of overall funding.
On the other hand, today’s youth not only question but fight against inequity which has been left undisputed for generations. There is an opportunity to not only shed light on the ocean of issues existing beyond but to cause change.
An Ignored Cause
Inequity in society needs to be addressed through different approaches. From diversity, justice, LGBTQ, disability, politics, mental health, animals, youth etc. , the list goes on. One of the pressing problems is justice and subsequently, the mistreatment of prisoners.
In India itself, the rate of recidivism amongst juveniles is 24.8 percent. This is the result of a lack of education, which is followed by unemployment and poverty. A study conducted on 600 inmates proved that 93 percent are unemployable on industrial parameters. This lack of employment worsens their mental stability, an addition to their pre-existing poor mental health histories which, approximately 33 percent of them possess. Mental instability prevents offenders from comprehending the gravity of their crimes leading to an increase in recidivism.
Social stigmas, often neglected, are more powerful than expected. Prisoners and their families suffer poor treatment even beyond their period in jail. When they are unable to reintegrate into society, they become demotivated to do so and revisit prior measures: unlawful activities, in this case. This is because others define them by their actions rather than who they are, and who they aspire to be. A lack of investigations into how prisoners are treated within and outside prison facilities leads to the absence of a necessary call for action. After all, as the common saying goes, “ignorance is bliss”.
On the other hand, we live in a world where nothing goes unnoticed. The vast repository of information within the internet is constantly being updated by socially active youth. However, like many others, the youth lacks the resources required to tackle such issues. The unjustified treatment of prisoners is a problem that threatens to become hidden beneath piles of other, overemphasized, social issues.
Project Second Chance
Project Second Chance is an initiative aimed at reforming prisoners and helping them integrate into society once more. They have established manifold projects, ranging from The Second Chance Fellowship focussing on life skills for inmates, Better-Life Prison School, a full day-long school that functions within prison facilities, to BaatCheet, an open forum that initiates discussions about sensitive topics like substance abuse, gender-based violence, etc. The organisation strongly believes that the distribution of correctional education reduces crime, lowers the chance of inmates taking other unlawful actions, and consequently, returning to prison. By simply giving offenders a “second chance”, this organization has decreased the rate of recidivism by 3 percent. Instead of deeming prisoners permanent criminals, they have acknowledged their lack of understanding regarding the repercussions of their actions.
This week, two events have been created on VAll in support of Project Second Chance. ‘Human Library - Chapter 1’ (Sign up for event), taking place on the 4th of March in Delhi, will delve into the gargantuan scope of storytelling. This event, organized by the program lead of Project Second Chance herself, will explore the idea of ‘Living Books’ to encourage former inmates to share journeys before, during, and after prison to begin new conversations. The second event, one-on-one tarot reading (pick a session), is an ongoing event till May 31st. An interesting way to gain insights into one’s past, present, and future. Money raised from both these events will support Project Second Chance.
Sign up because every individual matters. If you want to take a more proactive approach, create an event of your own and use your interests to raise funds for their cause. If you’re in search of ideas, check out our social media.
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By: Lasya Mohan Varma
Lasya is a ninth-grader extremely interested in both writing and performing arts, specifically acting. She has been writing consistently since she was ten years old, and has dabbled in both fiction and non-fiction throughout her journey. Lasya is passionate about using diverse forms of communication to promote awareness about social issues and is particularly interested in gender inequity and feminism.