On November 13, 2021, JVI and its local partners collaborated with the District Legal Services Authority to hold a legal aid camp in Gaya, India. Gaya is a district in the state of Bihar, one of India’s poorest. In places like Gaya, human trafficking and other exploitation are common due to caste-based discrimination, corruption, and other challenges.
This was one of the first in-person legal aid camps that JVI has been able to coordinate with partners and government officials since the Covid-19 lockdown. The purpose of these camps is to provide free legal services to community members. India has many national and local government programs available to assist the poor with basic necessities like water, sanitation, housing, education, and job training, helping them secure a foothold toward greater self-reliance. However, navigating the system to access these entitlements is often complex and time-consuming.
JVI has created a variety of tools and resources to provide individuals, NGOs and lawyers with necessary information and practical tools to advocate for citizens’ rights in several areas — from securing basic identity documents and government entitlements in the areas of food, jobs, education and health care, to protecting human rights. Legal aid camps allow JVI and its partners to distribute these tools while also coordinating services for large numbers of community members at a central location.
