From breaking menstrual taboos in Jharkhand to putting mental health on the map in rural Rajasthan, our flagship programs place adolescents—especially girls—at the heart of transformative change. Through peer-led education models and deep partnerships with local organizations, we equip young people to lead courageous conversations on topics long considered off-limits, from menstruation and emotional well-being to gender norms and stigma. By creating safe, supportive spaces in schools and communities, these programs not only challenge silence but also build confidence, resilience, and a new generation of informed, empowered changemakers.
In many parts of Jharkhand, growing up as a girl often means growing up in silence—silence around one’s body, questions, and future. Over one-third of girls here are married before the age of 18. Nearly one in three still rely on unsafe materials to manage their periods. Schools rarely address these issues, and many homes are unable to. Topics like health, menstruation, and emotional well-being remain taboo. The cost of this silence is borne by girls, who navigate confusion, fear, and isolation alone. To address this, we chose to go where the silence was loudest.
Since 2022, we have partnered with Ugam Education Foundation to work in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs)—government-run residential schools serving girls from marginalized communities. Many of these students are first-generation learners who have overcome significant barriers just to be in a classroom. Yet, they still carry the weight of what remains unspoken.
Our approach centers on peer-led education. We train 9th-grade girls as Champions, equipping them to lead sessions for students in grades 8 and 9 on critical topics such as menstrual health, mental well-being, and gender equality. These Champions don’t just share information—they spark conversations that have never happened before, creating safe spaces where girls can speak up for themselves and support one another.
Since launching this initiative, we have worked in 161 KGBVs, training over 2,900 Champions, who in turn have reached more than 19,000 adolescent girls through peer-led health education sessions.
The impact is tangible: more girls feel confident discussing their health, challenging stigma, and seeking help. Conversations that were once unimaginable have become a regular part of school life.
To ensure our interventions are both effective and culturally relevant, we collaborate closely with local teams to design customized tools—surveys, screeners, and focus groups—all adapted to the region’s language and context. This allows us to measure progress meaningfully and sustain long-term change.
Perhaps the most powerful testament to the program’s success? Many of the young women now leading these initiatives are recent KGBV graduates themselves—once the quiet voices in the classroom, they are now the leaders breaking the silence for the next generation.
In Rajasthan, mental health is rarely named—but its absence is deeply felt. It lingers in the pressure to remain silent, the fear of judgment, and the quiet build-up of stress with no outlet. In the rural regions where we work, mental health services are nearly nonexistent. The Bikaner district, for example, has just one psychiatric facility for over two million people. Across the state, three out of four residents live in villages with little to no access to care.
Despite accounting for 11% of India’s adolescent suicides, Rajasthan lacks the preventive conversations that could save lives. Parents worry but often lack the vocabulary to support their children. In many households, emotional expression is misunderstood—dismissed at best, punished at worst. To address this urgent gap, we launched a peer-led mental health program in partnership with Urmul Setu Sansthan (USS) in 2023. Our goal: make mental health visible, understandable, and approachable for adolescents.
We train 11th-grade students as Champions, equipping them to lead interactive sessions with their peers on mental health, gender, substance use, and the influence of social media. The curriculum is simple, relatable, and grounded in everyday experience. By encouraging honest conversations, we help students make sense of their feelings, challenge harmful norms, and build emotional resilience.
In 2024 alone, the program reached 25 schools, where 540 Champions engaged over 3,300 adolescents. The impact is measurable: students’ understanding of mental health more than doubled. Many now report feeling more comfortable in seeking help, naming their emotions, and initiating conversations once considered taboo.
Importantly, the program also opened up space for boys to reflect on masculinity and emotional pressure—topics rarely addressed in traditional settings. These conversations, previously off-limits in homes or classrooms, are beginning to reshape what emotional support looks like in rural Rajasthan. As in all our work, we collaborate with local experts to design culturally relevant tools—surveys, screeners, and feedback loops, all adapted to regional language and norms. This ensures that the progress we see is not only meaningful but deeply relevant. Through this initiative, young people in Rajasthan are not just learning about mental health—they’re becoming the change-makers their communities need.
is a 501c3 registered non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California.
EIN is 821087254.
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