Every empowered young person has the potential to create change. Kajal’s story is a testament to how knowledge, confidence, and small changes empower youth to lead community transformation. Through the #AstraZeneca India, supported Young Health Programme (YHP), Kajal discovered the value of healthy habits and made a commitment to nurture her own wellbeing, sparking broader change for those around her. As a Peer Educator, she helped peers understand the links between lifestyle choices and non-communicable diseases, breaking silences around sexual and reproductive health and encouraging open dialogue through creative approaches. AstraZeneca is proud to support initiatives where youth voices are central to better health outcomes and community resilience. Kajal’s experience is just one example of the 15 years of meaningful transformation made possible by #YHP.
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