While ruminating over the progress of Yuva Parivartan over the last 14 years, I am wonder-struck by the progress we have made. What started out as “a do Gooding” 1 Centre exercise to help out-of-school, deprived youth in Bandra East, started with a sense of obligation to the local community has grown into a huge project with a National Presence, soon to go international in its 15th year.
When Mrinal and I started out the Mom & Pop Shop in 1998, Ashok Advani, our early supporter, used to call us the ‘chief cooks & bottle washers’ which we indeed were. We struggled to pay our initial salaries totaling Rs.5,000/- p.m.! And friends and well wishers chipped in while today we raise and spend Rs.10 cr. p.a.
5 years ago, at the 40th Anniversary of my IIMA67 Batch on Campus, I wrote an article on the ‘Blue Print of our Lives! which the ‘IIMA Alumnus’ published, which I am attaching for those who may be interested.
Yuva Parivartan has evolved in 4 phases with one more to go. (1) The early struggle and survival – 1998 to 2000 – Explore in the Social Development Sector, the difficult change in mindset from corporate life to being the ‘chief cook and the bottle washer’, no money, few friends and many problems; (2) Foundation Phase 2003 to 2006 – firm and strong with Kherwadi Social Welfare Association (KSWA)’s Platinum Jubilee and then President APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated the ‘Yuva Parivartan Movement’ – media coverage, distinguished and supportive Advisory Board headed by B.G. Deshmukh, a few professional colleagues like Shivani Mehta join – start the first ‘Out Reach Centre’ in Andheri and think of helping deprived youth in Mumbai and surrounding areas;
(3) Looking Outward – 2007 to 2010 – Set up half a dozen Training Centres in Thane, Pune, Nashik and in a bold move in another State – Bangalore Centre. More colleagues join, Corporate Sponsors now willing to help because we deliver. Internal introspection and self doubt of – are we doing too much, too quickly?; are we sacrificing quality for quantity? Are Founders out for personal glory?; But we make it, worse is to follow! 
4) The Disruptive Innovation Phase – 2010 to 2013 – Devika does an ‘Orbit Changing’ Workshop just the trigger we need for helping deprived, out-of-school youth nationally – we are among the few NGOs who have the capability to do it, we have the support of sponsors and huge opportunity for skilling due to economic growth and a young population. We aim to go from 18000 students in 2010-2011 to 100,000 students in 2011-2012. There is dissonance in the organisation. Departments are stretched, we are in turmoil, we lose people, talk of ‘KK losing it!’ (Already lost it?). We double staff, we create regions with a corporate structure, self doubt, are we destroying ourselves, KK destroying the NGO’s ‘Social Development Heart’ of the organisation etc. But we make it! There is euphoria but doubters remain and then we go for the kill – grow from 100,000 p.a. to 400,000 in 2012-2013 and a million in 2013-14 along with acquiring an International NGO Tag. Complete, disruption (good, I say) doubts of having lost our heart and soul confirmed?! The story is being scripted, we are only halfway through the year which is looking grim. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong – looking for the proverbial silver lining – more later as the story unfolds.
The Second Chance 