LOKMITRA is a NGO that is committed to right of all children to free basic education with quality and equity. It was founded by Mr. Rajesh Kumar & Ms. Priya in 1997-98 in Raebareli, a district town of central region of Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Kumar graduated from Institute of Rural Management and worked with two NGOs, one working for tribal community in Gujarat and one providing support to grass root NGOs. Name βLOKMITRAβ, means βFriends of Peopleβ, suggesting people centered development process in which marginalized section of society, both women & men are active agent of shaping their destiny. Genesis of LOKMITRA is rooted in the experience of founders who had to struggle to cope with unwelcoming (dehumanizing) education system and founded itself misfit in prevalent socio-economic reality with dominant feudal mindset and iniquitous relations. Then thought and philosophy of people like J. Krishnamurti were very inspiring for charting a new path. Lokmitra has evolved as committed NGO working for the right of all children to free basic education with quality and equity.
Vision & Mission
Vision of LOKMITRA is people centered development. We envision a social change process where weaker sections of society get full opportunity to set the agenda and course of action for their overall development. Such a process will be characterized with socio-economic as well as gender equality and justice.Β There will be respect for ecological balance & sustainable development. Mission is to make governance & administration of the state participatory, accountable & effective and bring improvement in basic education, health & livelihood, especially for the interest of children, women and other weaker section of the society.
Lokmitra desires for a world where communities grow through such a collective process of learning that is filled with humane feelings. There should be affirmative action for people discriminated on the basis of gender, caste, region, culture. Children are our assets for building a better society.
Overall Program Strategy
Its strategy is to get a deep understanding the development sector, empower the (deprived) community through collectivization, mutual learning and promote their engagement with government and other stakeholders through dialogue. For Educational Right of Children, operational strategy is to engage with Elementary Education System of Uttar Pradesh in multi pronged and multi level manner to generate ideas and practices that could be adopted by the system for wider replication. Effort has been to impact education system at micro and macro level through multi stakeholder engagement.