Post by Plan_India

From not stepping out beyond the school gate to leading change in the community.   Today, 19-year-old Kajal is a confident youth advocate and a volunteer with Restless Development, opening conversations that many still avoid - especially on sexual and reproductive health, and helping peers make everyday choices that protect lifelong health.   Just a short while ago, stepping outside school activities felt daunting. In 2022, through the AstraZeneca India -supported Young Health Programme (YHP), she learned how daily habits shape our future. One simple, powerful promise followed: choose homemade food, add fruits and vegetables, and care for, both, body and mind. That first promise became a turning point.   As a Peer Educator, Kajal dove into six critical topics : unhealthy diet, air pollution, physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco, and sexual and reproductive health. Breaking taboos, she linked them to non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. Through sessions, street plays, and games, she helped peers speak openly and applied the same learning in personal life.   That confidence opened new doors: an interview, a selection, and a volunteer role with Restless Development, taking awareness beyond the classroom and into the heart of the community.   Kajal’s journey shows how a single step, a promise to self, can grow into a movement of informed, healthy, and confident youth. More stories like Kajal’s, and the impact YHP has had over 15 years, will be presented at the National Seminar on NCD Prevention through the Young Health Programme on 23rd September at IHC, Delhi.    #YouthPower #YoungChangemakers #YouthLeadership #EmpoweredYouth #YHPImpact #YoungHealthProgramme #planIndia