Anantapur youth leader presented UNV-Award 2022

Anantapur: Bisathi Bharath, a young leader from Kandikapula village in Putlur mandal in the district has been honoured with the prestigious UNV-Award 2022 from United Nations Volunteers, India, United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, at the United Nations House, New Delhi, recently. The award comprises trophy, merit certificate that was conferred from the United Nations Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp, UNDP Resident Representative Shoko Noda, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur, Meeta Ravali, Secretary to Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.

The volunteers award is conferred to the young people between the age of 15 to 29 years for their exceptional volunteering work as the young leaders in various fields of society. Bharath was conferred with award for imparting better skills in rural youth from last 8 years. Speaking to The Hans India, Bharath said that the rural youth were lagging in employment opportunities, career building, soft skills and life skills education. Bharath trained 30,000 rural youth with leadership qualities, soft skills, career guidance, life skills education and 21st century skills to build career opportunities in their life. He previously worked as the social worker in different fields as a volunteer in National Service Scheme, trainer at Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, founder and president of Pragathi Padham Youth Association, V Force Coordinator at the United Nations. He observed many social evils such as "Early childhood marriages, gender inequality, gender discrimination, sexual abuse" were affecting the life of girl children in rural areas. He imparted training to girls, parents, government stakeholders on the prevention of child marriages, Juvenile Justice Act implementation in rural areas to make lives of girl children happy and safe.

He organised 35 blood donation camps and collected 1,500 units of blood to needy and emergency patients. He organised many awareness programmes on the Central government flagship programmes such as "Digital India, MyGov, PM Jeevan Jyothi Yojana, PM Suraksha Bhima Yojana, PM Svanidhi Yojana, PM Ujjwal Yojana, Beti Bachao - Beti padao, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Catch the Rain, Sankalp Se Siddhi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Celebrations" to take the benefits of these schemes into the door step of rural areas through the team of active youth volunteers. He has taken lead role in organising the symposiums on framing the Draft National Youth Policy 2021, Draft State Youth Policy of Andhra Pradesh 2021 by involving the stakeholders from various departments, institutions and organisations. As a founder and president to Pragathi Padham Youth Association, he pioneered menstrual hygiene programmes, rural sports, yoga trainings, cashless India campaigns, plastic eradication programmes, plantation drives, armed forces fund collection, Covid-19 relief works and health camps. He was Indian delegate to the prestigious international youth exchange programme from UNV India to Indonesia to advocate about the Sustainable Development Goals for the better planet.