COMMUNITY LED INITIATIVES FOR CHILD SURVIVAL
Teach them to Climb Mountains:
Empowering Adolescents in the Community
Bharti has scaled many mountain peaks
Bharti Gomase has a grandiose vision. She wants
the adolescents in Anji to climb mountains! As
joint director of the National Adventure
Foundation (NAF), she is keen helping the
teenage children in the community develop
confidence and life-skills. “Adventure camps
organized by the Foundation provide
opportunity for young people to develop their
personalities and acquire courage that will enable
them to move forward,” she says.
government initiative, NAF sponsors 2000
school going children from Anji to different
camps every year. These camps teach rafting,
swimming, climbing, and other skills that build
physical and mental prowess.
From her own personal experience, she knows
how powerful such experiences can be.
mountaineer herself, Bharti has scaled several
peaks including Badrinath and Mount Papsura.
Being a member of the Indian Mountaineering
Foundation (IMF) she is part of the annual trek
and goes off on expeditions every year. Her risk
taking nature was evident right from her college
going days when she was a part of NSS and
NCC camps. She has witnessed her own personal
transformation through these activities. “They
helped me conquer my own fear,” she says.
Her desire to improve the situation of people in
her community has propelled her to take on
several issues of social concern. Bharti joined
the village SHG – Lokmat Sakhi manch in the
Anji village and also represents this organization
in the Village Coordination Committee (VCC)
formed under the CLICS program. Involvement
in all these organizations has helped her broaden
her perspective and gain a deeper understanding
of the situation of people’s life and health in her
community. “The CLICS program has improved
everyone’s health and awareness levels” she
says. “People are seeking ORS, Jeevan drop and
sanitary tools with confidence.”
an
Her deeper interest, however, remains on
children. She does whatever she can to better
A their lives. Recently she helped educate an
underprivileged child who used to come to her
home daily. Determined to ensure him a secure
future, Bharti organized tuitions and schooling
for him. “He has just got 70% in his exams and
will now go in for a higher education,” she says.
A
Contact us
Community Led Initiatives for Child Survival
(CLICS)

Dr. Sushila Nayar School of Public Health

Incorporating Department of Community Medicine
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
Sewagram - 442 102 Wardha District
Maharashtra (India)

E-mail: bsgarg_ngp@bsnl.in

Our Website
http://clics.org.in

MGIMS Aga Khan Foundation

Development Partner