A villager migrates to the city for earning bread for his family and lives in the city for months to do so. But, when this hard working chap who helps in developing the city asks for his basic needs he is many times denied for it. When he asks for shelter he is denied as he do not have a reference in the city, when he needs a SIM card he is denied as he do not have an address proof for the city. He is exploited by the local administration, police, and also by his employer.

To help such migrant laborers Rajeev Khandelwal and Krishnavtar Sharma founded Aajeevika Bureau, a Non-Profit Public Service Organization. Established in 2005, this organization provides registration and photo identification, training, counseling, and placement to migrants working in various cities, factories and farms in different parts of the country, mainly Gujarat. Apart from this, they also provide legal counseling and aid.

Recently the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship have announced the finalists of the India Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award 2010 and Aajeevika Bureau is one of the four finalists. (source)

Aajeevika is head quartered at Udaipur and is functional in five blocks of Udaipur and Rajsamand District. It runs a network of centers known as the Shramik Sahayta Evam Sandarbh Kendra at Gogunda, Kelwara, Salumbar, Aaspur, Kotra, Ahemdabad, Idar, Jaipur, Udaipur and Kherwada. At Udaipur they are working with Jatan Sansthan and Jandaksha Trust Team.

The number of rural and seasonal migrants’ workforce is around 100 million across India. This is another reason that Bureau’s livelihood services are aimed at unskilled, semi-skilled, seasonal and vulnerable migrant men and women.

The Aajeevika Bureau aims at improving the living condition of migrant laborers in big cities. The major problem faced by the laborers is the lack of identity, they have no documentation or proof of where they live or belong to and this results in their exploitation.

They provide various services like:

• Registration and photo identity services
• Skill training programs and employment counseling
• Legal aid to the workers
• Collectivization of labor
• Financial support

These services help the workers to get accommodation, sim cards, bank account and security against exploitation. Further, in the process of providing identity and strengthening the poor migrant workers Aajeevika has signed an MOU with National Unique Identity Authority of India with aim of including 100 million migrant laborers in the ‘Aadhar’ project (Unique identification number renamed as Aadhar).

It works both in the “source” as well as the “destination” of rural migrants. Source means where they come from i.e. rural economy and destinations being the urban markets were they go to work.

The Aajeevika Bureau is doing a commendable job in field of providing identity and safeguarding rural migrants in big cities.  It is the hard work and dedication of Rajeev Khandelwal, Krishnavtar Sharma and their team that Aajeevika Bureau is the finalists of the prestigious India Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Awards 2010, which identify and celebrates visionary social entrepreneur who have contributed to change in the system and are involved in replicating and spreading their ideas across the nation. We wish heartiest congratulation and best wishes to continue their great work for the society and wish them luck for the award.