Caritas India is associating with Madras Social Service Society (MSSS) in the implementation of Urban Disaster Risk Reduction (UDRR) programme in 3 selected slum areas in Park Town, T.Nagar and Little Mount of Chennai Corporation. In order to strengthen the disaster response mechanism so as to mitigate the losses due to any kind of disaster in future, mapping of vulnerable areas, resources available, past and current trends, detailed information on preparedness and response mechanism are being studied in a participatory manner.

With the sole objective of improving the status of disaster management in the identified slums, MSSS has realised the urgency and the need for developing comprehensive and effective disaster management guidelines for these slums.

It is in the process of establishing various committees as stipulated in the DRR plan namely early warning and communication, search and rescue, first aid, access and evacuation, relief and rehabilitation, Water, Sanitation and Health and protection. School dropout youth who are hitherto wasting their time without any ambition have started showing interest in becoming members of  Task Force Committees (TFC).

While interacting with MSSS Community Organisers, Rajbarath, Manickam, and Vanathaian, the youth have expressed their willingness to work for the betterment of their locality and people and involve in meaningful employment. Hence MSSS wanted to make the youth gain skills for employability. For this purpose, it established tie-up with Magic Bus Foundation which works with children and youth living in poverty to ensure they develop necessary skills required to a successful transition into the world of work.

Together MSSS and Magic Bus are facilitating this journey from Childhood to Livelihood enabling the slum youth to come out of the poverty cycle. So far 46 youth including 22 girls have been identified from Park Town and Little Mount. They have undergone 45 days training course on computer literacy, basic English, personality development and co-related subjects based on the requirement of job providers.

These 2 organisations play a complementary role; MSSS identifies motivated potential youth, conduct preliminary orientation and refers to Magic Bus to be trained in its 3 centres located at Perambur, Mount Road and Little Mount. 100% job placement is assured by Magic Bus with starting salary being Rs.12500/- upwards. So far 15 have been placed in a job mainly in BPO and KPO. Magic Bus Office itself has absorbed one trainee for its Little Mount Office. MSSS gives continuous accompaniment. More youth are to be benefited in the coming days.

Dr.John Arokiaraj, Caritas India Thematic Manager who is rendering handholding support to this project suggested that the services of these trained youth can be utilised by MSSS as volunteers. It is estimated to collect data from a sample size of 581 households and the youth can be engaged in the collection of primary data related to DRR from their own slums using different tools developed by MSSS in KoBoCollect App. Urban DRR opens new horizons in the lives of slum youth addressing disaster risks, enhancing skills and employability and improving their dignity.