The teams of the Foundation visit college campuses to educate youth and make their Voter IDs
A hum Foundation is a Hyderabad-based young voluntary organisation. It strives and works for a better nation and a better world. It engages in policy advocacy, empowerment talks, awareness campaigns, skill building workshops, funding drives, training programmes, education classes, health camps and vocational training. This election season the Foundation has taken up the task of voters’ awareness and registration of voters on a war footing.
Various teams from the Foundation are visiting college campuses and conducting voters’ awareness drives at public places too. The drive has received unprecedented response from young and old.
How they work?
Under the ‘MY VOTE—My Right and My Responsibility’ campaign, the Foundation has been involving the youth as volunteers for the voter awareness and registration drives. This in effect has galvanised a large section of the college going youth and has resulted in thousands of new voters being registered. The Foundation set upon a unique way to engage the voters in awareness drives. Such a drive would require hundreds of volunteers and they would also need to be trained in the task. With the vision in mind, the Foundation conducted drives to garner volunteers for upcoming drive in November and December 2018. Their request for volunteers received an overwhelming response and youth, men and women registered for the activities.
Ahum Foundation volunteers enrolling voters
Next, the registered volunteers were brought together and orientation programmes were conducted for them. A dedicated orientation programme was conducted for women, which again received a huge response. Galavanised by the response received, the Foundation set upon the task of educating people on the importance of voting and also help them to register.
The Foundation approached colleges and institutions in Hyderabad to conduct the drives. Placards and flex banners were created to engage the students. Presentation on the importance of voting, followed by a lecture by a prominent member of the team and concluding with an interactive session was the format followed by the Foundation. A demonstration on the way the NVSP portal was to be used was part of the presentation.
Response and Impact
The queries and suggestions received by the team of Ahum, was an indicator of the huge success of their drives. In a matter of just two days, the volunteers of Ahum were successfully able to help 800 voters to register or make modifications to their voter details. During the Voter-ID day drive conducted by Election commission, the Foundation was an active participant and helped hundreds of youngsters to enlist as voters. The Foundation has a dedicated phone number on which queries are received and help provided. Their Facebook page is also used as a communication tool for voter awareness which has also received good response.
Special Initiative
The Foundation has also taken the initiative to help Divyangs to cast their vote. The team has met the Chief Election Commissioner of Telangana and pledged its support to the EC’s call for help to Persons with Disabilities. The Foundation team rose to the challenge and delivered successfully during the Telangana Assembly Elections and is set to repeat the same during the ensuing general elections.
