Population Foundation of India

Bihar, home to one of India’s largest youth populations (with young people aged 10–24 making up nearly 30% of the state), is facing a silent crisis in mental and sexual and reproductive health. Stress, gender bias, menstrual stigma, malnutrition, early marriage, and limited awareness and access to SRH services are undermining young people’s education, health, confidence, safety, and aspirations, especially for girls.  While national initiatives like the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) and the Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram exist, their potential remains largely unrealised due to limited reach and engagement with young people, uneven implementation, and persistent socio-cultural barriers.  To bridge this gap, Population Foundation of India has been working to make health education more accessible, relatable, and stigma-free through innovative initiatives like Sehat Kendras, safe spaces within colleges where young people can openly discuss issues and access reliable information related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), mental well-being, and gender equality.  So far, these initiatives have reached over 80,000 young people through 64 Sehat Kendras across 31 districts of Bihar, fostering dialogue, trust, and awareness through peer-led sessions, IEC materials, and digital tools such as the AI-powered chatbot SnehAI.  We aim to expand Sehat Kendras to more government and community institutions across Bihar and other states. Your partnership will help us train nodal officers and peer educators, develop and distribute new communication materials as part of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) efforts, and strengthen youth-led engagement on SRH and mental health.  Together, we can ensure that every young person, regardless of gender or background, has access to the information, support, and care they need to lead healthier, more empowered lives. 

SnehAI is an AI-powered chatbot that provides a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space for young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health, gender, relationships, and online safety. Available on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and as a voice bot, SnehAI acts as a digital friend empowering adolescents and youth with accurate information that help them make informed choices about their health and well-being.  Since its launch, SnehAI has engaged with more than 320,000 users, exchanging over 13 million messages with them.  SnehAI’s inclusive and gender-sensitive content, reviewed by experts, has already started bridging critical gaps in youth-friendly communication on SRH and online safety. Its interactive stories, quizzes, and relatable Hinglish conversations have helped users learn about issues they often hesitate to ask adults.    The impact and relevance of SnehAI has also been recognized by Bollywood actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, emphasizing the urgent need for safe, accessible, and youth-friendly digital spaces.  We aim to expand SnehAI’s reach to new states and regional languages, building partnerships with institutions, and collaborate with local youth champions to normalize conversations on health, consent, safety and equality.  Your contribution will also help us strengthen the chatbot’s technology, introduce richer content on SRH, gender equality and online safety, and create a more engaging experience for India’s young people.  Together, we can ensure that every young person, no matter where they live, has access to accurate information through SnehAI.