Mahiti has taken up youth empowerment activities since last five years. Initially, Mahiti had focused on women’s empowerment in this area and many issues were handled / solved by women. Women’s leadership also emerged. The moneylenders in this area who had realized women’s strength now stopped exploiting them but continued exploiting men-folk and kept them suppressed. Mahiti’s efforts to bring the marginalized people in this area to mainstream remains incomplete unless the youth in the villages are not made aware and capable. The youth in this area has little of education or awareness and as a result they do not have much courage to raise objection to any kind of exploitation and got into clutches of moneylenders easily. Looking to this situation, Mahiti has been working for formation of youth groups and their capacity building.

So far 30 youth groups in 30 villages have been formed. Total number of members is 1239. These youth groups have a place in their village where they have books, indoor and outdoor games equipment for games like chess, carom board, volleyball etc so as to encourage the youth to pass their free time in good constructive activities and come closer so that an atmosphere of communication created. The village youth use these centers. Some times they organize short picnics with their contribution.

Mahiti makes efforts that youth in every village get involved in youth activities. Mahiti encourages youth in the villages to play cricket besides other games. The objective is to channelize youth energy to the right track because having no activity on hand youth resort to drinking, gambling and other addictive activities which harm their life and they waste their time and money too. Every year, an area level youth cricket tournament is organized.

Mahiti also conducts various trainings to build and strengthen the Life skills of the youth in the Bhal region. These trainings enable the youth to partake in interactive discussions, to conduct presentations, to participate in team activities, build confidence and strengthen their leadership skills.

The current economic situation has provoked Mahiti to take an active lead in providing information on how the youth can go about seeking steady and self sustaining employment opportunities. Since majority of the youth in this region have not completed more than 7 years in the school and have limited skills outside of polishing diamonds.

Mahiti also disseminates relevant information to improve the livelihood situation of the youth, while continuing to build life skills and uniting the youth. Therefore, Mahiti provides information regarding vocational training institutes which train students (who may not necessarily have completed school) to gain a market demanded specialized skill.  These institutes will broaden their skills, improve their livelihood condition, and encourage them to no longer fully depend on employment from the diamond factories, gain a skill in which self employment is possible, minimize the periods of unemployment, and earn a steady income. Mahiti aims to empower the youth to take hold of these opportunities to improve their livelihood conditions and become more confident in the ability for the youth to take the matters into their own hands rather than becoming dependent on others for employment for a lifetime.

Mahiti decided that it was not only important to provide information about vocational training opportunities to the youth but go a step further. When observing and understanding the background of the youth from this region it was obvious that the youth would need more than just information about vocational training opportunities to take advantage of the opportunity and to become a more well-rounded youth.  The youth need a helping hand. Thus, Mahiti made linkages with Vocational Training Institutes to send the youth for vocational training courses such as TV – DVD repairing, Computer Operation, Tailoring, Electric, Electronics, Welding, Turner and Fitter  etc. Till 2009, Mahiti has sent more than 50 youth for various vocational trainings.