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PFI Annual Report 2022-2023 |
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ANNUAL
REPORT
2022-23
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Cover Photograph from a sensitisation workshop with adolescent girls and anganwadi workers
on menstrual health, sexual and reproductive health and online safety in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
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Table of Contents
Chairperson’s Message
02
Message from the Executive Director
04
Highlights of the Year 2022-2023
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A Vision for Equitable Progress:
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New Strategic Plan (2023-28)
Our Programmes and Initiatives
Realising Commitment to Family Planning in India
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SAMVAAD
14
SnehAI: A Companion to Empower and Protect
17
Educately
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Virtual Reality for Nurse Training and Family Planning
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Community Action for Health
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Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)
29
Feminist Adolescent and Youth-led Action (FAYA)
32
Stories of Change
35
Financial and Operational Highlights
40
Population Foundation of India’s HR Policies
42
About Population Foundation of India
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Governing Board
Chairperson
Prof K Srinath Reddy
Vice Chairperson
Mr Rajya Vardhan Kanoria
Members
Dr Ajai Chowdhry
Mr Kiran Karnik
Justice (Retd) Madan Lokur
Ms Maja Daruwala
Mr Ratan N Tata
Dr Shireen Jejeebhoy
Dr Syeda Hameed
Prof Vikram Harshad Patel
Mr Vinod Rai
Executive Director
Ms Poonam Muttreja
Advisory Council
Chairperson
Ms Srilatha Batliwala
Members
Dr Arvind Pandey
Ms Karminder Kaur
Dr Leela Visaria
Dr Meenakshi Gopinath
Dr Mirai Chatterjee
Dr Pramath Sinha
Mr Prem Das Rai
Dr Rajani Ved
Dr Raman Kataria
Mr Sanjoy Hazarika
Dr Saroj Pachauri
Dr Sonalini Mirchandani
Prof Suneeta Mittal
Dr Vikas Amte
Ms Roli Singh, Additional Secretary &
Mission Director, National Health Mission,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
Government of India, ex officio
Ms Poonam Muttreja, ex officio
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Jehangir Ratanji
Dadabhoy Tata
.... achievement of demographic
objectives is entirely
dependent on a whole set of
societal responses and policy
initiatives which go well beyond
contraception.
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Chairperson’s
Message
Prof K. Srinath Reddy
Chairperson, Governing Board
It gives me great pleasure to introduce
the Annual Report of Population
Foundation of India. We began the
year under review by celebrating 75
years of India’s Independence. By the
end of the year, India had become
the world’s most populous nation,
expected to accelerate sustainable global
development and promote world peace.
In our demographically youthful country,
young Indians have high aspirations but
are also anxious about their future in a
complex world.
Through the G20 leadership proceedings
underway, India has been able to
showcase to the world its commitment
to women-led development. This
opportunity couldn’t have come at
a better time, given India’s focus on
women’s rights, equality and the
enhancement of their capabilities
and opportunities in many spheres
of development. For instance, data
suggests fewer women than men have
access to digital technologies. This
barrier to learning, skill enhancement
and gainful employment must be
removed.
The year 2022-23 was beset by global
challenges. The Ukraine war went into
its second year, while a devastating
earthquake killed more than 50,000
people in Turkey. India recorded 2,227
human casualties due to extreme
weather events in 2022. This number is
significantly higher compared to 1,750
people in 2021 and 1,338 in 2020.
According to the United Nations, natural
disasters are occurring three times
more frequently than they did half a
century ago. Climate change has greatly
affected seasons, temperatures, sea
levels and precipitation, resulting in
silent emergencies around the world.
Vulnerable populations, especially
women and girls, have been the worst
affected by these crises, with their
reproductive and overall health taking
a hit. It is imperative that public health
agencies and government bodies treat
reproductive healthcare as an essential
service.
The prevalence of diseases has
increased. Health experts have stated
that COVID-19 is not the last pandemic
the world will experience. Increase
in vector borne and water borne
infections, zoonotic outbreaks with
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pandemic potential, and a variety
of non-communicable diseases and
mental health disorders will impact
human health. Further, reduction in
the quantity and quality of agricultural
crops, nutrition levels and disrupted
health and social systems due to climate
change will aggravate the situation.
As an organisation committed to the
promotion and protection of human and
planetary health, Population Foundation
of India will partner initiatives to combat
climate change and its harmful effects
on health.
This is also the time to involve the
young in leadership roles, a subject I
have dealt with in my upcoming book,
Pulse to Planet. A global coalition of
young people is needed to shake off
complacency. Population Foundation of
India’s new strategy has a renewed focus
on adolescents and youth.
Population Foundation of India
is expanding its programmes on
the ground by venturing into new
geographies like Manipur and
Jharkhand, working to connect people
to reproductive health services. This
has helped increase women’s access to
education, skilling and employment, thus
bridging the ubiquitous gender gap that
denies women their rights.
We continue to focus on digital health
through our SnehAI initiative, an
Artificial Intelligence-powered chatbot
that offers a secure, personalised
and non-judgemental space for the
young to address their concerns about
sexual and reproductive health and
online safety. More than 10.2 million
messages have been exchanged with
over 1,86,000 users. We look forward to
expanding the ambit of the chatbot to
include additional information on sexual
and reproductive health and rights,
menstrual hygiene management and
gender issues.
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We are also testing the efficacy of Virtual
Reality (VR) in nurse training and family
planning counselling to reimagine our
existing methods.
From a global funding perspective,
in 2022-23 a large part of the world’s
resources was directed towards the
humanitarian crises in Ukraine and
Turkey, given their monumental suffering.
However, the relatively silent emergencies
of poverty and lack of basic resources
continue to impact a large part of the
world. I do hope these are not ignored,
especially at a time when funding has
become uncertain for many countries,
including India. We need to combat the
numerous public health emergencies
unfolding in India with the same level
of vigilance and vigour displayed when
confronted with acute threats to health
security.
Population Foundation
of India subscribes to
the vision of One Earth,
One Family, One Future,
as eloquently articulated
by the Indian presidency
of G20. We will strive
to contribute to the
successful realisation of
that vision. I do hope we
will make an even bigger
difference this year.
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Message from the
Executive Director
Poonam Muttreja
Executive Director
Two key developments in 2022-23
brought the focus back on India’s
population and development policies.
In November 2022 the world population
reached eight billion and in April 2023,
India overtook China as the world’s most
populous country. The spotlight became
a glare as India assumed the leadership
of the G20.
It was inevitable that issues in India
would be magnified through the G20
lens. We, at Population Foundation
of India, leveraged the opportunity
to interact with the global media
and underscore the links between
population, gender and family
planning in the context of sustainable
development.
It was an endless stream of media
interactions, both online and in-person.
A number of international media
representatives made their maiden
visit to India. There was a risk of the
discourse turning alarmist, of the gains
made by India’s health and family
planning programmes getting ignored,
with the focus shifting to population
‘control’.
We knew we needed to make the global
community aware that India had already
achieved replacement level fertility and
commenced the process of population
stabilisation. With this aim, we interacted
with the media. Our messaging
highlighted lessons from China which
recorded negative population growth
last year for the first time since the
1960s, and which has experienced a
lower fertility rate than is ideal due to its
one-child policy.
The contrast with China is important to
ensure that the media and the public do
not fall for the population control frenzy,
and instead appreciate India’s slow but
steady march to population stabilisation.
It is gratifying to see that we may have
contributed to the prevalence of a more
rational and nuanced understanding of
India’s population issues in the media
discourse.
In addition to the media, our
engagement with other important
players like G20 functionaries, United
Nations agencies, ministries and civil
society, was also critical. We engaged in
dialogue about a shared understanding
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of India’s unique demographic
advantage, i.e., a large young population
who need quality health and family
planning services, including temporary
methods of contraception.
Unfortunately, in India, maternity as
well as family planning continue to
be the responsibility of women alone.
While the former is biological, the
latter is the imposition of a patriarchal
social order. It is necessary to get men
to bear the responsibility of family
planning, something we strive for in our
programmes.
We remain ardent advocates for
adolescents and youth, who have the
potential to take India to its next stage of
development.
As our Chairperson Prof Srinath Reddy
writes in his new book, Pulse to Planet,
“I hope the young can rescue the world
from the many ills that plague our
society today”. I couldn’t agree more.
It is the young who will usher in change.
Yet, older people occupy positions of
authority and make decisions which
affect the lives of everyone, including the
young. It is, therefore, necessary to get
the youth to participate adequately in
decision-making processes.
Change has become a constant for the funding
environment of the voluntary sector in India, which is
facing unprecedented challenges. Many organisations
need help to stay afloat, while several others have
downsized significantly. In this time of need, both
Indian and international donors— especially those
from India—need to step up their support so that
the voluntary sector continues to play a role in the
country’s human development.
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Highlights of the
Year 2022-23
In the fiscal year 2022-2023, Population Foundation of India achieved
remarkable progress across various sectors, further solidifying our
position as a leader in the field. Our accomplishments ranged from
gaining global recognition through media engagement to utilising
technology for evidence-based solutions. We also made significant
strides in adolescent health and community empowerment.
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Some noteworthy achievements from the past year
The Foundation established itself as a leading authority in shaping the
global discourse on India surpassing China as the world’s most populous
nation. We engaged in over 200 interactions across digital, electronic and
print media platforms.
Our innovative Sehat Kendra model in Bihar was showcased at the
National Family Planning Summit in July 2022 and the G20 co-branded
event ‘Health of Youth-Wealth of Nation’ in June 2023, organised by India’s
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
We collaborated with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to develop
guidelines for establishing health clubs in 56,000 schools and Saathiya
Corners in 36 inter-colleges.
Expanding upon its existing English version, the Foundation’s Family
Planning Resource Bank now includes a new Hindi version, enriching
its comprehensive repository of family planning information. This Hindi
adaptation received the prestigious ‘Knowledge Success Award’ from Johns
Hopkins University.
Our AI-powered chatbot, SnehAI, achieved a remarkable milestone by
facilitating over 10.2 million meaningful interactions with 186,000 users.
Educately.org, our ed-tech platform offering courses on adolescent
health, well-being and mental health, attracted an impressive 270,000
unique visits and enrolled 12,000 educators.
The Foundation hosted the secretariat for the National Health Mission’s
Community Action for Health program and reached a significant
milestone by successfully training over 50,000 health officials as master
trainers and facilitators. These trained individuals now operate at state,
district and block levels, enhancing the effectiveness of community-level
health facilities under the National Health Mission. This initiative is gaining
traction within communities and holds the promise of transforming
healthcare accessibility.
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A Vision for Equitable
Progress: New Strategic Plan
(2023-2028)
For over five decades, Population
Foundation of India has remained
a driving force in tackling critical
population and family planning issues,
rooted within a framework of women’s
empowerment. As we embark on
our next chapter, the Foundation is
committed to adapting and evolving in
an ever-changing world.
At the core, was the active participation
of the Foundation’s senior management
team. Inputs from diverse team
members fostered a comprehensive
and holistic strategy refresh process.
Through collaborative and participatory
methods, external stakeholders such
as funders, board members, and fellow
NGOs were engaged.
The cornerstone of the new Strategic
Plan (2023-2028) rests upon the
Foundation’s resolute commitment
to forging a just and equitable society
in India. This vision encapsulates a
realm where individuals exercise
their reproductive rights, pursue their
aspirations, and embrace optimal health
and wellbeing—a life fundamentally
enriched by these inherent rights. At the
heart of it lies our unwavering dedication
to improving sexual and reproductive
health outcomes for adolescents and
young people, set against the backdrop
of India emerging as the world’s most
populous country with the largest young
population.
The Foundation will strengthen its
engagement with adolescents and
young individuals through online
interventions and community
engagement programmes. This shift
is accompanied by a renewed focus
on gender inclusivity. The strategic
plan extends to critical adjacent areas,
notably menstrual health and hygiene,
mental health, skill-building, fostering
women’s agency, leadership among
young people, as well as the interplay
between population dynamics, gender,
women’s empowerment, and climate
change. These issues are framed beyond
the confines of the health discourse,
in the context of gender equity and
sustainable development.
This holistic approach reflects the
Foundation’s dedication to nurturing the
overall wellbeing of India’s large young
population, representing a crucial step
towards harnessing the demographic
dividend.
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Navigating the Pathways to Progress: Strategic Approaches
Population Foundation of India’s strategy for 2023-2028 is channelled
through a comprehensive set of strategic pathways, each designed to drive tangible
impact and meaningful change.
Strategic Engagement: Through dialogue, research, evidence-based
insights, and technical support, the Foundation will engage with
key stakeholders, facilitating policy formulation, unlocking funding
opportunities, and enabling on-ground implementation.
Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC): We will leverage
the power of communication to promote shifts in knowledge, attitudes,
gender norms, beliefs, and behaviours, fostering transformative change at
community and societal levels.
Capacity Building and Government Support: Strategic support for
building stakeholder capacity and partnering with the government to
fortify health systems is integral to the Foundation’s trajectory.
Knowledge Generation: Our commitment to knowledge generation
through research lays the groundwork for the Foundation’s advocacy and
informs evidence-based decision-making.
Community Engagement and Direct Implementation: Our hands-on
approach will be enhanced through deepened direct implementation
programmes and increased on-ground activities, reinforcing the
Foundation’s connection with communities and directly impacting lives.
Partnerships and Alliances: By forging partnerships with governmental
bodies, international agencies, the private sector, academic institutions,
and fellow NGOs, the Foundation aims to broaden its reach and influence.
Health Commitment: The Foundation’s expansion into areas such as
maternal and child health, family planning, and sexual health education
underscores its steadfast dedication to health-centric interventions.
As it embarks on this transformative journey, Population Foundation of India stands
ready to amplify its impact, promote gender equity, and champion sustainable
development through a renewed strategic vision. The synergy of the Foundation’s
experiences from its fifty-year-old journey and its futuristic approach has forged a
roadmap that promises a future where every individual can flourish, empowered by
their rights and aspirations.
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Our Programmes
and Initiatives
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Realising Commitment to
Family Planning in India
The Realising Commitment to Family Planning in India programme (RCFP),
an evidence-based strategic engagement effort, is focused on working with
stakeholders and thought leaders on increasing access to choice-based
quality family planning (FP) services.
The programme’s goal is to enhance commitment to family planning
among key stakeholders, policy makers, media and the private sector, in
line with the Government of India’s commitments (FP2030 and SDGs).
Highlights 2022-23
Media &
Communication
Population Foundation of India is a
leading voice in the global discourse on
population dynamics, family planning,
sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and
gender equality. Our media presence is
pervasive, with over 200 engagements
in 2022, across various national and
international electronic, print, and digital
platforms. Our body of research and
empirical evidence—unique in kind, scale
and scope—is routinely referenced by
policymakers, funders, non-profits, and
cited in global publications.
Population Foundation of India received
requests from national and international
media for opinion articles, interviews,
quotes and TV debates. During these
engagements, we highlighted various
issues such as population trends
and demographics, child marriage,
male engagement in family planning,
adolescents’ SRH, behaviour change and
health budgets.
Themes of media engagement
110+ 40+
NFHS-5
Child
Marriage
50+
Adolescent
Issues
30+
Union
Budget
200+
Population Foundation of
India (referenced/quoted)
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Media appearances by Population Foundation of
India on national and international media
Our Work with the
Government
The National Health Systems Resource
Centre (NHSRC), an apex body under
the National Health Mission providing
technical support to the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW),
invited Population Foundation of India
to draft a section on population and
development for a reference book
targeted at Panchayati Raj Institutions
(PRIs). The section is part of a chapter
titled ‘Understanding Health’.
This is a significant milestone in our
ongoing endeavour to empower PRIs in
monitoring health and FP/SRH services.
By leveraging the strength of one of the
largest community-based institutions,
our aim is ensuring last mile availability
of health and FP/SRH services.
As the FP2030 Civil Society Organization
(CSO) Focal Point, Population Foundation
of India worked closely with the MoHFW
to draft a chapter titled ‘Reviving Male
Engagement for FP’ for the government’s
FP2030 Vision Document.
We have been working extensively to
inform policy discussions around the
interconnectedness of population,
gender, and development, particularly in
the context of India’s G20 presidency.
The G20 represents a pivotal juncture
for global development objectives and
has consistently recognised its foremost
goal of fostering strong and sustainable
growth. Population Foundation of India
has proactively participated in various
G20 working groups, including Civil 20
(C20), Think Tank 20 (T20), and Women
20 (W20), to underscore the importance
of population, family planning, health,
and women’s empowerment as critical
issues for deliberation.
We helped facilitate multiple meetings
to discuss the role of civil society
organisations in positioning health
as a pivotal component of India’s
G20 agenda, while emphasising the
significance of investing in FP
/SRH. We have been engaging with
the G20 Sherpa, Mr Amitabh Kant,
to strategically position India’s
demographic dividend and population-
related issues within a framework of
women’s empowerment on the G20
platform.
These crucial engagements reaffirm
Population Foundation of India’s status
as a technical expert in the areas of FP/
SRH, youth, community engagement
and accountability, social and behaviour
change communication (SBCC) and
providing responsive support to the
government.
Global
Advocacy
At the International Conference on
Family Planning held in November
2022 in Pattaya, Thailand, Population
Foundation of India gave an oral
presentation: ‘Policy Engagement for
the Introduction of New Contraceptive
Methods in the Public Sector: A Case
Study from India’.
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Additionally, we showcased our work
through two poster presentations:
‘Leveraging the Media and Strategic
Engagement to Target Misinformation
on Population Issues’ and ‘Impact of
COVID-19 on Young People: Rapid
Assessment in Three States (UP,
Rajasthan, Bihar)’.
At a plenary session titled ‘Standing Up
for Abortion Rights in the Aftermath
of Roe vs. Wade: A Call to Action!,’
distinguished civil society representatives
from around the world, including
the Executive Director of Population
Foundation of India, Poonam Muttreja,
were invited to make a commitment to
safeguard the right to abortion in their
respective countries.
(left) Sanghamitra Singh, Population
Foundation of India alongside
international delegates at ICFP 2022
Corporate and
Philanthropy Engagement
Population Foundation of India took
proactive measures to reinforce its
commitment to attracting interest
and investment from corporates and
philanthropies in FP/SRH.
We partnered with Samhita Social
Ventures, a social-sector consulting firm
building long term partnerships between
companies, donor organisations,
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government agencies and social
organisations to maximise social impact.
Two zonal roundtables, co-convened in
Mumbai and Delhi, focused on creating
a corporate discourse around women
and adolescent health and underlined
the need to invest in these areas for
sustainable development.
In December 2022, Population
Foundation of India became a
vision member of the Asian Venture
Philanthropy Network (AVPN). This
strategic partnership aims to prioritise
family planning, population, health
and development issues as critical
components of both the national and
global philanthropic agendas.
In January 2023, our participation at the
AVPN South Asia Summit provided us
with a critical opportunity to position the
family planning agenda among global
and national impact investors.
Expanding Access to
FP/SRH information
Recognising that most FP/SRH
information, evidence and news are
primarily available in English, which
restricts access for rural and Hindi-
speaking audiences, Population
Foundation of India launched a Hindi
version of the Family Planning Resource
Bank (FPRB).
The Hindi microsite was among the
winners of a competition organised by
Knowledge Success, a Johns Hopkins
initiative.
The FPRB in a vernacular language
not only serves as a valuable tool for
journalists in the Hindi media space but
also acts as a credible source of data and
information, providing context-specific
insights to a wide audience.
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SAMVAAD
Samvaad aims to shape policy narratives by engaging stakeholders,
including elected representatives, policymakers and the media, on Sexual
Reproductive Health (SRH) and Family Planning (FP) issues, with a focus on
youth and gender. The project enhances stakeholders’ awareness to foster
a favourable policy environment, informed discourse, and evidence-based
policy formulation. Leveraging digital technology and platforms, Samvaad
expands reach and raises awareness on SRH, FP and gender.
Knowledge Products for Policy Making
The fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019-21) indicates that India has
achieved replacement level fertility, with the total fertility rate (TFR) declining from
2.2 to 2.0. However, interstate and interregional variations in TFR continue to exist.
Addressing these disparities requires sustained engagement on population and related
issues with key stakeholders such as policymakers and the media.
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Population Foundation of India developed two knowledge products to engage policy
makers and elected representatives effectively:
• ‘India’s Population Growth and
Policy Implications’ provides an
overview of India’s population growth
trajectory. It analyses why population
growth will continue, even with
lower fertility rates, emphasising
the influence of socio-economic and
societal norms on fertility decisions.
• ‘The Sexual & Reproductive Health
Status of Young People in India’
provides a comprehensive analysis
of the unique SRH needs, challenges
and opportunities for healthy
outcomes among young people.
Media Engagement on Population Issues
Samvaad envisions a pivotal role for
both new and established media
platforms in initiating and amplifying
constructive dialogues surrounding
gender, FP and SRH through opinion
pieces, editorials, news articles, and
digital content. In pursuit of this
objective, Population Foundation of
India has proactively collaborated with
a multitude of media outlets, including
prominent names such as Time, New
York Times, Reuters, ABC, Washington
Post, Le Monde, El Pais, The Globe and
Mail, NDTV, Zee News, Hindustan Times,
and Financial Express, among others.
Our commitment to media engagement
persisted as we addressed population
dynamics and their policy implications
of India overtaking China’s population
to become the world’s most populous
nation. During this period, we authored
two articles spotlighting the significance
of investing in young individuals and
participated in ten interviews addressing
issues pertinent to India’s growing
population.
Concurrently, our media engagement
around the release of the UNFPA’s
State of World Population (SWOP)
Report for 2023 yielded substantial
results, including thirty interviews, ten
television appearances, and Population
Foundation’s contributions being
featured in over seventy reports.
10
Articles
30+
Interviews
70+
Citations in
reports
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Snapshot of our media engagement on India surpassing China to become the
most populous country in the world
Our Executive Director Ms Poonam
Muttreja and Ms Andrea Wojnar, UNFPA
India Representative, co-authored
an op-ed in Hindustan Times titled
‘India’s chance to lead: Reproductive
autonomy, healthier lives and gender
dividend,’ where they highlighted key
takeaways from the UNFPA SWOP
Report.
On World Contraception Day in
September 2022, we published an
article titled ‘Reducing Her Burden:
Contraception as a Critical Step
Toward Women’s Empowerment’ in
the Economic Times, co-authored by
Ms Andrea Wojnar and our Executive
Director Ms Poonam Muttreja.
In December 2022, we participated in
a media and policy communication
workshop titled ‘Development
Reporting: Big Picture Versus Fine
Print,’ organised by United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership
with the Outlook Group. The workshop
aimed to sensitise media professionals
to population and gender-based violence
issues, while helping journalists simplify
their communication and find innovative
reporting approaches.
During the workshop, Ms Muttreja
highlighted the factors behind low
fertility rates in developed countries
compared to high fertility rates
in underdeveloped regions. She
emphasised the impact of lifestyle
changes, employment loss in the pre-
and post-COVID-19 era, the significance
of family planning and investments in
public health and education. Ms Muttreja
also emphasised the importance of
knowledge-sharing and education on
sexual health and evolving social norms.
Digital Intervention to
Disseminate SRH, FP and
Gender Agenda
Population Foundation of India’s
online portal on adolescent health
and wellbeing Educately.org will
be leveraged to address issues of
adolescents in a comprehensive
manner. The content on the portal will
be enriched by adding more resources
such as the Integrated Sexual and
Reproductive health (ISRH) e-learning
course offered by UNFPA.
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SnehAI: A Companion to
Empower and Protect
SnehAI is an AI-powered chatbot focused on adolescent health and
wellbeing. SnehAI, was introduced in April 2019 based on the learnings of
Population Foundation of India’s transmedia social and behaviour change
communication program, Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH; I, A
Woman, Can Achieve, Anything). It uses the on-screen persona of the lead
protagonist of the show, Dr Sneha to provide information and support on
sexual and reproductive health and rights, and online safety.
SnehAI incorporates content related
to Online Children Sexual Exploitation
and Abuse (OCSEA)—developed as
part of the Global Partnership to End
Violence Against Children (EVAC)
Fund, a global coalition comprising
over 500 member organisations
across 31 countries. The integrated
content includes quizzes, stories and
animations, which raise awareness
and promote knowledge about
online safety.
Highlights 2022-23
Artificial Intelligence powered
chatbot SnehAI
• In April 2022, Population Foundation
of India launched the latest version
of SnehAI, with online safety
content, on Facebook Messenger.
The event included a Facebook Live
session hosted by renowned actor
and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who
announced the public release of the
SnehAI chatbot and discussed the
importance of safe online spaces for
young people. The Facebook Live
video garnered over 8,500 views and
reached more than 9,400 users.
The launch received media coverage in
15 print and 23 digital publications,
including Indian Express, National
Herald, WION and The Tribune, among
others.
• We also initiated a digital safety
marketing and outreach social media
campaign to raise awareness about the
chatbot. Still ongoing, the campaign
has reached over 22 million users.
Additionally, the SnehAI website
content and design has been updated
to include information on online safety.
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• At the Meta Health Summit, a
national conference organised by
Meta to highlight digital health
initiatives, Population Foundation
of India emphasised the role of AI
chatbots in delivering reliable and
accessible health information to
young people. We presented the
SnehAI WhatsApp bot, showcased
its successful implementation and
impact on promoting online safety,
and shared our plans for future
development.
• We undertook a study on adolescents’
digital interactions and OCSEA in
India to understand the nature and
extent of adolescents’ social media
activities, as well as their experiences,
and mitigation strategies related
to potential OCSEA. Perceptions of
parents and stakeholders were also
analysed as part of the study.
Screenshot of SnehAI chatbot’s
WhatsApp interface
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Educately
Educately, a digital platform developed by Population Foundation of India,
serves as a comprehensive resource on adolescent health and wellbeing.
It offers a range of information, resources and programmes in Hindi and
English, catering to adolescents, parents, educators and policymakers. The
platform enables users to conveniently access training content through
internet-enabled devices and mobile apps.
Scene from ARSH for You lecture video
The flagship course on Educately is
‘Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual
Health (ARSH) for You’—a self-paced
teacher-training programme. It equips
educators with the knowledge and skills
necessary to support adolescents on
health and wellbeing issues. Since its
launch in 2020, Educately has attracted
over 270,000 visits, with 12,000
educators enrolling in the ARSH for You
course.
Educately holds immense potential
in positively impacting adolescent
health and wellbeing, showcasing
how technology can enhance access
to reproductive and sexual health
information and mitigate health
disparities and hesitations. Educately
also provides in-person and offline
training to educators across various
states, expanding its reach and impact.
19
270,000
unique visits
on the site
12,000
educators
enrolled
In-person
and offline
training
Available
in Hindi and
English
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An offline ARSH for You training
session in Patna, Bihar
Bihar
After successfully conducting a pilot
training session in Jehanabad district
with 493 educators, Population
Foundation of India signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Education Department to
expand the programme’s reach.
An additional 800 trainers from the
District Institute of Education and
Training (DIET) were trained, who in turn
trained educators in their respective
districts. At a state planning and review
meeting of nodal officers the team from
the Foundation trained 56 associate
professors of ‘Sehat Kendras’ (Health
Centres).
Jharkhand
The Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society
(JSACS) approved Educately’s proposal
to train 50 nodal officers from the Red
Ribbon Clubs (RRC) across the state.
An online orientation was conducted
with JSACS officials. Although the initial
enrollment and completion rates posed
challenges, a re-orientation of nodal
officers is anticipated to enhance the
reach of the ARSH for You course. The
Population Foundation of India will
closely collaborate with JSACS officials to
achieve this objective.
Uttar Pradesh
Population Foundation of India
presented Educately as a valuable tool
to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government
for enhancing the knowledge and skills
of over 11,000 health and wellness
ambassadors participating in the
Government of India’s flagship School
Health Programme across five districts.
1,072 health and wellness ambassadors
have enrolled on the platform.
Population Foundation collaborated
with the Bharat Scouts and Guides
(BSG) in UP, with an aim to educate
7,500 teachers, 14,736 senior youth
volunteers, and over 3 lakh youth
volunteers about adolescent sexual
and reproductive health. Roughly 1,500
divisional and district-level officials of the
BSG will also undergo the online training.
935 BSG information technology
coordinators from 75 districts were
oriented.
The collaboration was featured in the
October edition of ‘Tejal,’ the quarterly
e-magazine of BSG in the state.
11,000
health and
wellness
ambassadors
Rajasthan
Population Foundation of India and the
Education Department of Rajasthan
have signed an MoU to promote and
strengthen adolescent health and
wellbeing through the ARSH for You
course in 33 districts of Rajasthan. The
initiative is being rolled out in a phased
manner, and currently, over 700 teachers
have enrolled in the online programmes,
with 89 successfully completing it.
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Manipur
Population Foundation of India has
received a letter of approval from
the National Service Scheme (NSS)
coordinator of Manipur to roll out
the ARSH for You course, and train
programmes officers in the districts
of Churachandpur and Thoubal. An
orientation session was conducted under
the guidance of Dr Maibarn Nodyachand
Singh, program coordinator of the NSS
Cell and head of the Department of Yoga
at Manipur University.
An MoU with the Social Welfare
Department of the Government of
Manipur to integrate Comprehensive
Sexuality Education (CSE) into the Child
Care Institute (CCI) and the Integrated
Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has
also been signed. The aim is to enhance
the sexual and reproductive health
outcomes of adolescents in the pilot
districts.
Over 100 staff members from over 40
CCIs have completed the course. One
member from each CCI was trained as a
master trainer using a module developed
for out-of-school settings, which helps
reach a broader adolescent population,
particularly in resource-compromised
areas with limited internet access. It also
serves as a valuable reference guide for
facilitators.
Collaboration with HCL Foundation
Population Foundation of India and the
HCL Foundation (HCLF) partnered to
host the ARSH for You course on the
HCLF Academy platform from October
2020 to June 2022, with 107 enrolments
and 33 successful completions across
three batches. An enhanced version of
the course will be launched on the HCLF
Academy portal this year.
Screenshot showcasing the
Educately.org website
Partnership with UNFPA
Population Foundation of India has
partnered with the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) to offer the
Integrated Sexual and Reproductive
Health (ISRH) course on the Educately
portal. The course provides an
orientation to primary healthcare
providers, focusing on integrated sexual
and reproductive health services. It
offers up-to-date, evidence-based
information and covers essential
programmatic aspects. The ISRH course
is scheduled for launch in 2023.
Mental Health Programme in
Partnership with Sangath
Population Foundation of India has
partnered with Sangath, an organisation
focused on improving access to mental
health services. We launched a course
on Educately called Adolescent Problem-
Solving Counselling Training (APT) in
August 2022—aimed at enhancing
the capacity of individuals working
with adolescents. The course provides
evidence-based problem-solving
counselling that empowers adolescents
with effective coping strategies. It is
available in English and Hindi, and has
self-assessment quizzes, readings and
primary resources. The course has
attracted 1,350 enrolments so far.
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Virtual Reality for Nurse
Training and Family Planning
Population Foundation of India and Meta India collaborated on a pilot
project to augment nurse training and family planning counselling through
immersive technology. We aim to leverage VR technology (utilising
Meta’s Oculus Quest devices) to develop visual and gamified content
that enhances nurse training and transforms the delivery of family
planning counselling. The pilot will evaluate how this technology can be
implemented at scale.
Immersive Technology for
Nurse Training
As part of the project, we conducted a
study using VR content to train nurses
and nursing students, focusing on
improving their clinical skill proficiency in
specific areas related to maternal health.
The objective was to gather evidence
on the effectiveness of immersive
technologies, particularly VR, in nurse
training and education. The pilot content
utilised a blended learning approach,
combining VR simulation and imitation,
delivered through Oculus devices.
The study targeted two groups: nursing
students, and nurses working in labour
and delivery and neonatal care. The
study was implemented in partnership
with 8chili inc., and India’s leading
hospital and nursing educational
institutions, including Apollo Hospitals
in Hyderabad; Apollo Children’s Hospital
and Women’s Hospital in Chennai;
and Kempegowda Nursing College,
Bengaluru.
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POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
An engaged participant utilising the
Oculus device for immersive Family
Planning Counselling
266
Nurses
4
Locations
18
VR-based
training modules
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Evaluations and responses showed a significantly higher score among nurses who
underwent VR training versus those who did not.
EVALUATION
CRITERIA
Accuracy of
nursing procedure
performed
Speed of
performing
nursing procedure
Confidence while
performing
nursing procedure
Quality of
nursing procedure
performed
UNDERWENT
VR TRAINING
91.2%
scored very
good — excellent
90.2%
performed well
90.2%
were confident
90.9%
performed well
DID NOT UNDERGO
VR TRAINING
35.8%
scored very
good — excellent
38.9%
performed well
41.8%
were confident
41%
performed well
Immersive Technology for
Family Planning Counselling
To support couples in choosing the
most suitable contraception method, it
is crucial to provide high-quality family
planning (FP) counselling. Given the
sensitive nature of this topic and the
target audience, continuous efforts
are needed to explore innovative
technology-driven solutions that can
complement existing counselling
methods and cater to individual needs.
To this end, we have developed VR
content to enhance FP counselling. It
provides interactive information on FP
methods and dispels misconceptions.
Gamified simulations have also been
included to illustrate the importance
and methods of FP through mock-up
scenarios. This pilot has been initiated
at 15 urban-public health facilities in
Faridabad.
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Community Action
for Health
Community Action for Health (CAH) is a vital component of India’s
National Health Mission (NHM), actively engaging communities and
gathering feedback on the delivery of public health services. This approach
empowers individuals to voice concerns about the availability, accessibility
and quality of healthcare in areas where they live. By bridging the gap
between the public and health officials, this collaborative effort enhances
healthcare provisions.
Focus group discussions with women at Chittorgarh, Rajasthan
In 2005, the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare (MoHFW) established
the Advisory Group on Community
Action (AGCA) to provide guidance to
the Ministry and state governments on
community initiatives and accountability
for public sector health services.
24
POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
The AGCA comprises renowned
public health experts, and Population
Foundation of India hosts its Secretariat
under a government order.
Currently, CAH processes are
implemented across 25 states/union
territories, encompassing over 2,30,000
villages, 452 districts, and 200 cities
throughout India.
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Over the last five years, the AGCA
has established a network of over
50,000 master trainers or facilitators
at the state, district, and block levels
to strengthen the functioning of
community-level institutions under the
NHM, namely Village Health Sanitation
and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs),
Mahila Arogya Samitis (MASs), Rogi
Kalyan Samitis (RKSs) and Jan Arogya
Samitis (JASs).
People’s Health
Assemblies
A State Health Assembly in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu
Under its Tamil Nadu Health Systems
Reform Programme (TNHSRP), the
state government has been organising
people’s health assemblies across ten
districts to address the needs and
challenges of the community, establish
a dialogue between community
representatives and health officials, and
improve delivery of health services.
Based on the positive feedback, these
health assemblies were increased to
include an additional 16 districts in
2022-23.
Assemblies were organised at the village,
block and district levels, leading up to a
state health assembly in Chennai in
March 2023. Here, resolutions related to
infrastructure, equipment and shortage
of human resources were discussed and
collated for necessary action.
The event was chaired by State Health
Minister Ma. Subramanian, and
attended by public health experts and
representatives from the World Bank,
the Society for Community Health
Awareness, Research and Action
(SOCHARA) and the AGCA Secretariat.
Samwad
The AGCA Secretariat initiated Samwad,
a webinar series aimed at providing a
platform for state governments to share
and learn from each other’s experiences
and scale up good practices within the
NHM.
The first webinar titled ‘Formation of
Jan Arogya Samitis (JASs) at the Primary
Health Centres (PHCs) in Odisha’ was
curated and facilitated by the Secretariat
on February 3, 2023, in collaboration
with the Odisha NHM team. The
session saw participation of over 900
attendees, including state and district
nodal officers and community health
officers from more than 20 states.
The webinar received over 5,000 views
on YouTube and garnered positive
feedback from states like Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh,
and Telangana, particularly participants
who were in the early stages of forming
JASs at the PHCs.
Encouraged by the responses, the AGCA
Secretariat plans to organise similar
webinars on other relevant topics.
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Community-based
Health Planning
The AGCA Secretariat prepared a note
to reintroduce the Community-based
Health Planning (CBHP) process within
the NHM. The purpose is to identify
community needs and aspirations,
which will be incorporated into the
State Programme Implementation Plan
submitted annually to the MoHFW for
approval.
To lead this initiative, an AGCA sub-
group was formed. The sub-group
held multiple meetings to develop the
note, which provides a background on
decentralisation and community health
planning in India, as well as specific
recommendations for integrating
community-based health planning in the
states. The note has been submitted to
the MoHFW for review and approval.
Module for Panchayati Raj
Institution (PRI) Members
on Health
The National Health Systems Resource
Centre (NHSRC) developed a module on
health for members of Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIs).
The AGCA Secretariat contributed
by writing two chapters for
the module: ‘E-institutional
Mechanisms for Implementation
of Health Programmes’ and ‘Social
Accountability—Community
Monitoring, Planning and Action’.
The module has been completed and
distributed to state governments by
the MoHFW. Following this, NHSRC
conducted training sessions for master
trainers at the national and state levels
to roll out PRI trainings in states.
26
POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
A state-level training session on
JAS in Goa
Uttar Pradesh
• Established and trained a pool of 146
master trainers for the functioning of
Rogi Kalyan Samitis. Master trainers
included Additional Chief Medical
Officers, Divisional Programme
Managers, Divisional Consultant
Quality Assurance, Regional
Managers Community Process,
Districts Education & Health Officer
and District Community Process
Managers.
• Developed a reference book for Rogi
Kalyan Samitis (RKS) operating at the
Community Health Centre (CHC) and
district-level, as well as guidelines for
their renewal process.
• Training sessions for RKS members:
3,485 members from 150 district-level
health facilities and 1,027 members
from CHC/Block Primary Health
Centre-level trained.
• Technical support to the UP
government to operationalise Jan
Aarogya Samitis (JAS) under its
flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme.
210 government staff from CHCs and
Sub-Health Centres (SHCs) comprising
medical officers, Community Health
Officers were given an orientation in
the functioning of JAS.
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Additionally, the Foundation
supported the opening of 2,870 JAS
bank accounts and the development
of resource materials. The
Foundation’s staff members were
nominated as nodal points for JAS-
related training sessions and received
training from the National Health
Systems Resource Centre.
• Expanded support to the Community
Process component of the National
Urban Health Mission (NUHM) by
developing a training module for
31,715 VHSNCs across 34 districts
and conducting training of trainers
for 136 district officers from the same
districts.
Bihar
In 2022-2023, Population Foundation
of India organised five Jan Samwad in
Darbhanga and Nawada districts of Bihar
to enable communities to interact and
share their feedback on health services
with frontline workers and government
health officials.
Three block level Jan Samwad took place
in Pakaribarawan and Rajauli blocks of
Nawada district, and Hanuman Nagar
Jan Samwad in progress at
Darbhanga, Bihar
district of Darbhanga. 600 participants
including Village Health Sanitation and
Nutrition Committee, Panchayati Raj
Institution members, ASHAs, Auxiliary
Nursing Midwives, Medical Officers
attended the events. Two district
level Jan Samwad were organised at
Darbhanga and Nawada where systemic
issues and gaps were shared.
Some results of the Jan Samwad
• Initiation of caesarean deliveries
(C-sections) and X-Ray services (which
benefit 300 patients every month) in
CHC Pakaribarawan in Nawada.
• Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC)
established at Sub Divisional Hospital
Rajauli in response to community
demand at Jan Samwad.
• Monthly camp-based antenatal care
initiated in hard-to-reach areas of
Rajauli block, Nawada.
• Construction of an approach road for
Project Girls High School, Anandpur
from Hayaghat Block, in Darbhanga
providing much needed access.
• Doctors posted at Gulni and Teyar
Health and Wellness Center (HWC) in
Nawada, and at Additional Primary
Health Centres (APHCs) in Singhwara
block, for regular OPD services.
• Regularisation of OPD services in
the SHC centre of Simri Panchayat of
Singhwara Block after allocation of
space in Panchayat Bhawan through
the efforts of Mukhiya.
• Mukhiya allocated two rooms in the
Gram Panchayat to start the HWC
services at Bharathi Panchayat,
Singhwara Block, Darbhanga district,
resulting in regular provision of OPD
services.
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Sehat Kendra
The Foundation supported the
State Health Society Bihar (SHSB) in
conceptualising and setting up Sehat
Kendras in 48 colleges. These youth-
friendly spaces provide accurate
information on SRH, mental health,
gender and nutrition.
The initiative has been successful, with
over 150,000 students benefiting. The
SHSB plans to expand the programme to
15 additional colleges each year.
• The Foundation inaugurated a Sehat
Kendra at IIT Patna.
• Developed an annual activity calendar
to engage students. Activities include
group sessions, blood donation
camps, talk shows, discussions,
debates, and sports and yoga
sessions.
• Facilitated Sehat talk shows with over
30,000 student participants.
• Organised a state-level review and
planning meeting with 56 nodal
officers and assistant professors.
• Conducted orientations on family
planning, teenage pregnancy,
anaemia and nutrition.
• Members of the Foundation were
invited to judge and facilitate inter-
college youth festivals organised on
National Youth Day.
A talk being organised on SRH at
a Sehat Kendra
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Comprehensive Sexuality
Education (CSE)
The ‘Scoping for Expansion of
Comprehensive Sexuality Education
(CSE) in India’ project is a grant that
focuses on expanding CSE and is
currently being executed in four
states: Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Manipur and Delhi.
The objective is to gain valuable
insights into the effectiveness
of CSE in diverse geographical,
socio-demographic and cultural
settings. The project emphasises
the integration of CSE within
both in-school and out-of-school
environments, leveraging existing
government mechanisms.
Uttar Pradesh
Supporting the state government to
introduce needs-based innovations for
improving adolescent health and wellbeing
Population Foundation of India was
appointed as the nodal partner by the
National Health Mission (NHM), Uttar
Pradesh (UP) to develop a ten-year
operational plan for achieving objective
3.4 on improved adolescent health
outcomes in the UP Population Policy
(2021-30).
Throughout the year, the Foundation
facilitated three meetings of the
Adolescent Technical Support
Group,consisting of government officials
and development partners.
CSE workshop in Manipur
These consultations served as the
basis for drafting an operational plan
for adolescent health that aligns with
the commitments laid out in the state
population policy.
While awaiting government approval,
we have proposed several need-based
initiatives in the NHM Programme
Implementation Plan for 2022-23, aimed
at enhancing adolescents’ access to
information and services related to
nutrition, sexual and reproductive health
(SRH), mental health, cyber safety and
substance abuse, among other areas.
The government has allocated
resources exceeding INR 3.5 crore for
these initiatives, which include the
establishment of adolescent health
clubs in 56,647 government schools,
the implementation of 36 Sathiya
Corners or counselling centres in major
inter-colleges across the state, and the
introduction of rewards and recognition
programs for health and wellness
Ambassadors, among other measures.
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Adolescent
health clubs in
56,647
government
schools
• In 2022-23, Population Foundation
of India developed operational
guidelines for the Sathiya Corners,
which were jointly circulated in
March 2023, across all 18 divisional
headquarters by the Department of
Education and the Department of
Health & Family Welfare. Branding
guidelines were also developed.
• With the NHM’s support, we are
facilitating the setting up of model
Sathiya Corners in campuses of
ten inter-colleges spread across
Prayagraj, Lucknow, Agra, Bareilly and
Ayodhya. Two teachers per college
have been selected and trained as
counsellors, and an online orientation
session was conducted for nearly 30
teachers and principals in January
2023.
Strengthening youth networks for
Comprehensive Sexuality Education in
collaboration with Bharat Scouts & Guides,
Uttar Pradesh (BSG UP)
BSG UP is one of India’s largest youth
networks, encompassing both school-
going and non-school-going young
individuals.
• Population Foundation of India
partnered with BSG UP to scale up
Educately. In April, 2022, the BSG UP
issued a letter to its 1,500 divisional
and district-level officials, urging them
to undertake the online training.
36 counselling
centres in major
inter-colleges
Through BSG officials, it is expected
that crucial information on adolescent
SRH will reach approximately 7,500
teachers, 14,736 Rovers & Rangers
(senior youth volunteers), and over
3 lakh scouts and guides (youth
volunteers) within the BSG network.
• To catalyse the process, Population
Foundation of India conducted
special orientation sessions for
BSG officials from Prayagraj,
Meerut, Bahraich, Gorakhpur and
Bulandshaher. Additionally, in May
2022, the Foundation introduced
Educately to 93 BSG IT coordinators
from 75 districts. The link to Educately
has been made available on the BSG
UP website (bsgup.org/).
• The October to December 2022
edition of BSG UP’s quarterly
e-magazine, ‘Tejal,’ featured an article
on the collaboration between BSG UP
and Population Foundation of India.
• In February 2023, a new collaboration
was initiated with BSG UP to train 40
youth champions in Lucknow district.
These champions, drawn from the
BSG cadre, will receive training to
promote healthy behaviours and
positive approach to gender-based
issues among the youth, represent
adolescent-related concerns on
social media platforms and engage
in offline interactions with teachers,
parents, media, government officials,
and other key stakeholders.
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Engaging Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
in the dialogue on adolescent health and
wellbeing
In August 2022, Population Foundation
of India organised an online meeting
on adolescent health and wellbeing
with CSOs from Azamgarh district
in collaboration with the Gramin
Punarnirman Sansthan, Azamgarh,
to involve grassroots-level entities in
initiatives related to adolescent health
and wellbeing.
As part of this endeavour, the
Foundation oriented the staff, workers,
and key individuals within these CSOs
on Educately. Additionally, conversations
were held on Comprehensive Sexuality
Education (CSE), with most participants
concurring that CSE is essential for
adolescent wellbeing.
Some of the noteworthy CSOs that took
part in this meeting include Gramin
Punarnirman Sansthan, Bundelkhand
Development Society, Shikhar
Prashikshan Sansthan, PRASAR, and
Sahyog Sansthan, among others.
ARSH orientation for NSS
volunteers in Manipur
Manipur
To effectively disseminate information
on Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual
Health (ARSH) outside of the school
system, Population Foundation of India
collaborated with the National Social
Service (NSS), Manipur.
The partnership aimed to integrate
ARSH sessions into the NSS program
for volunteers. Several meetings and
workshops were conducted for college
teachers who also served as NSS
nodal persons. NSS youth volunteers
participated in these workshops,
enabling the incorporation of ARSH
topics into their mandatory work
adopted under the NSS.
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Feminist Adolescent and
Youth-led Action
Feminist Adolescent and Youth-led Action (FAYA) is a youth-led and owned
community-based programme implemented in four districts of Rajasthan:
Bundi, Dungarpur, Karauli and Tonk. The programme primarily aims to
disseminate age-appropriate and contextually relevant comprehensive
sexuality education (CSE) to 10,000 adolescents directly through sessions
led by trained youth facilitators, as well as indirectly to about 20,000
adolescents through peer educators.
FAYA is also aimed at helping community leaders, Panchayati Raj
Institution (PRI) members and parents have a positive attitude towards
gender and power.
FAYA participants from Rajasthan
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A total of 30,000 adolescents were
reached through a combination of direct
and indirect CSE sessions. To facilitate
indirect sessions, peer educators were
given a diary called the Kishor Mitra diary,
which contained relevant content from
the CSE curriculum, including stories
and summaries of nine most important
sessions.
• Between May and June 2022, a two-
day training programmes on strategic
engagement and leadership skills was
conducted for 200 youth leaders in
each district. Mentoring and coaching
workshops on leadership were
organised for 200 youth leaders to
equip them with the knowledge and
skills to lead local advocacy efforts with
stakeholders in their villages.
• Mentoring and coaching workshops on
meaningful stakeholder engagement
and leadership skills were organised
for 200 youth leaders. Eight physical
training sessions were organised to
equip youth leaders with the necessary
knowledge and skills to lead local
advocacy efforts with stakeholders in
their villages.
• Four Super Saathi Kendras (SSK)
were established, one in each of the
intervention districts. Established
in government schools, SSKs
provide a safe space for students to
convene and discuss issues related
to Sexual and Reproductive Health
(SRH), mental health, education,
employment opportunities, accessing
government schemes and more.
• Thirty youth champions met with
government officials at eight block-
levels meetings and flagged issues
related to availability of sanitary pads
(under the Udaan scheme) and iron
folic acid tablets; health check-ups
by auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs);
counselling services at Adolescent
Friendly Health Clinics (also known as
Ujala clinics), among others.
• On World Health Day, Population
Foundation of India shared videos
on its official social media platforms,
featuring young people advocating
for their health rights.
• These youth leaders conducted
surveys in 81 villages to assess the
representation of young people’s
issues in Village Health Sanitation and
Nutrition Committees (VHSNC) and on
Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual
Health (ARSH) outreach in 41 schools.
Key findings were compiled into fact
sheets and posters, and shared with
government officials and community
leaders.
• Support for issues identified in the
surveys was mobilised through
signature campaigns, rallies led by
adolescents and interactions with
government officials and PRI members.
FAYA volunteers in action
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4.8 Page 38 |
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Impact of Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Key findings from an independent end-line evaluation of the programme carried out
with adolescents by Population Foundation of India in Bundi, Dungarpur and Karauli
districts — of the 10,000 adolescent girls who were directly exposed to CSE through the
FAYA programme:
33.3%
expressed an egalitarian
attitude towards shared
responsibility in SRH matters
61.9%
shared that they reject
controlling behaviours
72.3%
rejected female
submissiveness in sexual
matters and expressed
agency in marriage-related
decisions
43.7%
were aware of Ujala clinics,
compared to only 21.2%
among those who were not
part of the FAYA intervention
48.9%
reported having some say in
the timing of marriage
96.1%
agreed on providing
sexuality education to
adolescents, indicating a
significant need expressed
by the adolescents
themselves
60%
expressed intent to use
contraceptives in the future,
compared to 40% among
those who did not receive
CSE
Awards
At an event in Jaipur, organised by the Government of Rajasthan to commemorate World
Hepatitis Day, Population Foundation of India set up a stall to support the Rashtriya
Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), through FAYA interventions. Ms Roli Singh, Additional
Secretary and Mission Director National Health Mission, from the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare appreciated our work. We received an ‘excellent contribution
certificate’ from the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Rajasthan.
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4.9 Page 39 |
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Stories of
Change
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4.10 Page 40 |
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Annu Kumari—from Youth Champion
to Policewoman
Annu Kumari has come a long way since
her days as a teenager on the brink of
marriage.
It was Sheela Devi, her mentor and
Population Foundation of India’s block
coordinator, who emboldened her to
stand her ground and say no. By then,
Annu had already been a member of the
Kishori Samooh (adolescent group) for
five years−a platform for young people
created by Population Foundation of
India−a life-changing experience for her.
It’s here that she learnt about sexual
and reproductive health, and women’s
empowerment in the company of other
girls, under the guidance of a mentor.
Given the taboos on discussions around
sexual and reproductive health, the
villagers were initially sceptical of
the Kishori Samooh. “Later, people
understood that we were helping their
daughters. We also formed a group of
mothers called Sneh Samooh for them to
see for themselves that we were sharing
accurate information with adolescents,”
explains Sheela Devi.
After Annu passed class 12 with a good
grade, her father gifted her a motorcycle.
She was the only bike-riding girl in her
village and had dreams of a higher
education. She enrolled at a college 40
kilometres away. Initially, her father or
brother accompanied her but with time
she travelled on her own.
During this period, Annu evolved into
a youth champion. She stopped the
marriage of a minor girl by reaching out
to the police, and convincing the parents
to get their daughter married, with her
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POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
Annu Kumari on police duty
consent and as an adult. In another
instance, she convinced a woman with five
children to undergo a tubectomy as she
and her husband were not keen on using
contraceptives. One day, as Annu was
riding her bike without a helmet, she was
stopped by a woman traffic police officer.
I was so inspired by her
power to protect the law
and make a difference that I
decided to do my best to join
the police force. I hate to see
injustice around me.
Annu Kumari
Now Annu is training at the Bihar Military
Police academy to become a police officer.
Back home, 300 kilometres away, Annu
is paving the way for many girls to be
independent and have agency.
“Now people don’t stop me from talking to
their daughters, or even taking them away
for a meeting. They want their daughters to
succeed too,” says Sheela Devi.
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5 Pages 41-50 |
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5.1 Page 41 |
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APHC Bardaazi reopens—thanks to
Community-Government collaboration
The Additional Primary Health Centre
(APHC), Bardaazi, served approximately
28,000 people in three panchayats
of Kawakole block, Nawada district,
Bihar. With a functional building, a
doctor’s residence, and other necessary
amenities, APHC Bardaazi attracted a
good footfall.
Six years ago, the APHC building
collapsed. Doctors and staff stopped
coming, and the medical services
came to a halt. Soon, squatters and
encroachers occupied the APHC, even
using it as a shelter for their cattle.
When the APHC closed down,
patients had to go to PHC,
Kawakol [around 10 kilometres
away from some villages]. It
was inconvenient.
Manoj Kumar, Villager
Population Foundation of India
facilitated dialogues at the community,
block and district levels, involving
community members, service providers
and officials.
The APHC issue was discussed at Village
Health and Sanitation Committee
(VHSNC) meetings, the Block Planning
and Monitoring Committee in 2021, and
at a Jan Samwad.
Subsequently, the Block Development
Officer, along with Khadsari Mukhiya
Suraj Kumar, identified a suitable
public building, Saamudayik Bhawan—
which was then allocated to the health
department of Kawakole to operate the
APHC.
The District Health Society allocated
funds for preparing the premises and
installing blood pressure monitoring
machines, blood test kits and antenatal
care tables. But the new APHC remained
non-functional.
In December 2021, during a block-level
Jan Samwad VHSNC members raised
concerns about the persistent delay.
Dr Nirmala Kumari, the civil surgeon
of Nawada, assured the attendees
that health services would resume.The
assurances did not materialise.
Undeterred, the community highlighted
the issue during a district-level Jan
Samwad held in April 2022. The jury
members instructed the medical officer
in-charge to commence services. The
building was cleaned, the approach path
established and on August 3, 2022, the
civil surgeon inaugurated the APHC.
The doctor now visits the APHC once
a week, while other health staff are
available every day.
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5.2 Page 42 |
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Thanks to Jyoti—adolescent girls
enjoy access to sanitary napkins in
their village
21-year-old menstrual hygiene champion
Jyoti Kumari is a youth champion on a
mission. Hailing from Nawada in rural
Bihar, Jyoti has successfully set up a
sanitary bank in her village, Pharaha, for
easy access to hygiene products.
Jyoti, a member of Population
Foundation of India’s Kishori Samooh
(adolescent group), says, “During the
lockdown in 2020, I saw the difficulties
because of the inaccessibility of hygiene
products. I, along with another girl,
requested every woman in our village to
donate just one rupee—and bought pads
for those who could not afford them.
Now, we have switched to sustainable
options and make cloth pads to sell
within the community.”
Initially, many young girls did not
understand the significance of menstrual
hygiene, Jyoti recalls.
I had been trained to tackle
such issues and did my
best to explain to them that
periods were linked to their
reproductive health. Now,
both women and men seem
comfortable discussing
menstrual health.
Jyoti Kumari
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POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
Jyoti Kumari
This is a far cry from the time girls were
not allowed to touch pickle jars or enter
the temple while menstruating. “They
even kept sanitary pads hidden from male
members of the family. But now, they
know they have nothing to feel ashamed
about. My father and my brother have no
issues buying pads for me,” Jyoti says.
Discussions on family planning and
contraception have become part of the
everyday. This change has led many
women to enrol in voluntary nurse
and midwifery courses. “With many
indigenous and tribal groups living in rural
areas with limited resources, it is critical
to educate young women. Awareness
and education would mean that they
have a bright future ahead,” says Parimal
Chandra, Population Foundation of India’s
state programme head.
Jyoti leads a group of 30 like-minded
volunteers on other issues like water
scarcity in her village. “I have discovered
how powerful knowledge is. Population
Foundation of India has given me a
platform to impact lives. I wanted to be
an Army officer, that dream has remained
unfulfilled, I am now serving my nation in
a different way,” she says.
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5.3 Page 43 |
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A road that made all the difference
For years, the Health and Wellness
Centre (HWC) located at Surhachatti did
not attract enough patients. It was not
a lack of staff or facilities but the road
leading to the HWC. The slightest bit of
rain made it worse.
“How would anyone get to the centre
with the road totally broken?” asks Dhani
Ram, a resident of Hayaghat. Even those
living close by did not access the HWC.
The matter was brought up at a Village
Health Sanitation Nutrition Committee
(VHSNC) meeting. Members tried to have
the road repaired from the development
fund. A written complaint was submitted
to the Primary Health Centre, Hayaghat,
responsible for the upkeep of the HWC.
The VHSNC members took up the matter
with the Block Planning and Monitoring
Committee in 2019. Even after a few
meetings, there was no action.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus
shifted to improving health services.
The Block Development Officer led
the government’s overall efforts in
containing the pandemic. Realising this
was the time to reiterate their demand,
community members discussed the
matter with the BDO.
The HWC was a designated centre for
COVID-19 testing and vaccination. In
2021, repairs began. Bricks were laid on
the broken road, improving its usability.
Patients started visiting the HWC and the
outpatient department (OPD) became
functional. During the pandemic, the
HWC hosted VHSNC meetings, and held
health camps.
The demand for a pucca road was
raised at the Jan Samvad at Hayaghat in
December 2021. Mukhiya Nagendra Das,
Health and Wellness Centre at Surhachatti
promised that getting the road plastered
would be his priority after the elections.
He was re-elected, and kept his promise.
With a pucca road, health camps and
fixed-day family planning services,
HWC Surhachatti sees high public
participation. “For the first time we have
16 counters providing services. It seems
HWC Surhachatti is alive now,” says a
visitor.
The Foundation’s field team supported
the community’s efforts to get the road
repaired.
Access to a health centre is
a basic requirement to serve
the community.
Parimal Chandra, Population Foundation
of India’s state programme head
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5.4 Page 44 |
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Financial and
Operational Highlights
Particulars
Source of Funds
Corpus Fund
Society Fund
Deferred Grant
Restricted Project Funds
Current Liabilities
Provisions
Total
Application of Funds
Fixed Assets
Investments
Cash and Bank Balances
Loans and Advances
Total
2022-23
2021-22
Rs.(in Lakh)
500
6,983
110
1,097
198
43
8,931
Rs.(in Lakh)
500
6,461
120
1,603
398
42
9,124
171
5,170
1,594
1,996
8,931
186
5,470
1,862
1,606
9,124
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5.5 Page 45 |
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Particulars
Income
Grant Income
Donation Income
Rental Income
Interest and Other Income
Total
2022-23
2021-22
Rs.(in Lakh)
1,681
Rs.(in Lakh)
1,993
3
-
296
783
2,763
198
641
2,832
Expenditure
Health and Family Planning Expense
Behaviour Change Communication
Expense
Community Action for Health Expense
Other Project Expense
Management & Administrative Expense
Total
818
443
419
455
106
2,241
1,335
254
389
268
154
2,400
Excess of Income over
Expenditure
522
432
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Population Foundation of India’s
HR Policies
At Population Foundation of India, we maintain a comprehensive HR Policy Manual
that outlines well-structured policies and processes. This manual includes guidelines
and policies applicable to all personnel engaged with Population Foundation of
India. The aim of these policies and guidelines is to ensure fairness, transparency,
and consistency in our relationships with employees and other stakeholders. The
manual covers a range of key topics, including the Code of Conduct, Conditions of
Employment, Performance Evaluation, Employee Benefits, and Rules and Regulations.
These terms, conditions, and policies are derived from broader employment legislation
in the country, as well as from best practices followed by organizations in similar fields.
In addition to this core HR manual, Population Foundation of India has established
specific policies related to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH), Child
Protection, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), and Whistleblower
Protection, all of which form part of our Compliance Management framework.
Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
At the workplace, Population Foundation of India prohibits discrimination,
inappropriate conduct, or harassment, based on a person’s gender, religion, caste,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age, colour, national origin, veteran status,
marital status, race, ancestry, linguistic or any other legally protected characteristic.
Population Foundation of India holds that all persons have the right to work in an
atmosphere free of discrimination and harassment. Population Foundation of India
recognises that equality in employment can be seriously impaired when women
are subjected to gender-specific violence, like sexual harassment at the workplace.
The Foundation has thus adopted its Policy Against Sexual Harassment at the
Workplace (referred to as Population Foundation of India (PASHW), for the prevention,
prohibition, and redressal of sexual harassment, in compliance with the mandate of
the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013
and The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Rules 2013. Under this policy, the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has
been constituted under Rule IV and a detailed grievance procedure has been laid down
in the Human Resource Policy of the organisation. In the year 2022-2023, no cases of
sexual harassment were filed in the organisation.
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About Population Foundation of India
Population Foundation of India will advance gender-sensitive, rights-based population
and family planning policies and actions for a just, equitable, and prosperous society.
Mission
Population Foundation of India is a national NGO which promotes and advocates for
the effective formulation and implementation of gender-sensitive population, health
and development strategies, policies and programmes. The organisation was founded
in 1970 by a group of socially committed industrialists under the leadership of the late
J.R.D. Tata and Dr Bharat Ram.
Our Donors
Our mission and accomplishments would not have been possible without the generous
support and collaboration with our donors and programme partners. We are thankful
for their continued partnership and collaboration to advance our shared mission.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
• United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• Facebook India Online Services Pvt Ltd
• John Hopkins University
• HCL Foundation
• Tata Communications Ltd
• Ishtar Music Pvt Ltd
• Centre for International Development Services
• Ashalata Foundation
• United Nations Population Fund
• Education for Employability Foundation
• BFL Investments and Financial Consultants Pvt Ltd
• Apollo Trading and Finance Pvt Ltd
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Head office
B-28, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi – 110016
T: +91 11 43894 100
Regional offices
Bihar | Rajasthan | Uttar Pradesh
www.populationfoundation.in
@PopFoundIndia
@PopFoundIndia
@populationfoundationindia
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POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA