Creating an enabling environment for youth to become responsible and independent adults, with a focus on promoting human rights, democratic values, accountability & transparency and the courage to speak up.
CYDA’s Health4Change program is implemented at various schools for senior students with a view to achieving a Healthy Attitude, Healthy Mind and Healthy Behaviour.
TARANG: Educating senior students on reproductive health and gender.
WASH: Creating awareness and training around water, hygiene and sanitation withing schools, and educating children and staff to maintain the facility where toilets were set up or renovated.
Counselling: Providing individual support to senior students in academic, social and emotional needs.
The CYDA team that goes into the schools are from similar backgrounds to the students and they operate on the principle that their team be role models of the behaviour change they are trying to promote. The team is first given the same knowledge that students would receive and once they are able to adopt these principles, they are trained on imparting that knowledge to others.
CYDA’s focus is on considerably basic factors like access to water & sanitation, the right to information and support in dealing with the challenges of adolescence. They see a tremendous impact on education and livelihoods once these needs are addressed. They also work extensively on driving policy change.
100 students from 6 schools between grades 8 to 10 have been part of CYDA’s Health4Change program with Bansuri. About 66 students took individual counselling and 64 were part of group counselling sessions. It was found that students who participated in the program were able to manage their emotions better and be more assertive in conversations.
confidence level of the students and found them to be less hesitant to speak up in class. There was an improvement in their focus on academics as their ability to deal with their problems increased. Students not only overcame substance addictions and the frequency of physical fights, but there was also a reduction in abusive language as the students learnt how to deal with anxiety, stress, and phobias.