Aarohan
Background
The state of Jharkhand in India has a large tribal population and high rates of poverty. The Government of India’s 2021 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report indicated that Jharkhand is India’s second poorest state. For tribal populations in Jharkhand, illiteracy and low educational attainment are prevalent. Mental health problems are equally common, with rates higher than India’s national average.
The challenges faced by tribal youth across Jharkhand negatively impact their ability to thrive. Across Jharkhand, Ashram schools have been created by the government to support the education of youth from Scheduled Tribes. Ashram schools are residential schools that seek to prevent the high rates of school drop-out and illiteracy which are prevalent for Scheduled Tribe youth.
To confront these challenges, WorldBeing’s Aarohan program works to guide youth to utilize their inner strengths, actualize their future goals, and become changemakers in their communities.
Aarohan: ‘To Rise’
To confront the myriad of challenges faced by tribal youth across Jharkhand, in 2024 WorldBeing entered into a multi-year MOU with the Office of Tribal Welfare to launch Aarohan, a new program to provide tribal youth within the Jharkhand Ashram school system with the skills to build their mental health and wellbeing. Once fully integrated, the program will be implemented in 120 schools, reaching 12,000 adolescents annually.
Aarohan, which translates from Sanskrit as “To Rise,” will be facilitated on a weekly basis in the classroom by specially trained Ashram school teachers, providing sessions in wellbeing skills such as character strength development, emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication, goal setting, problem-solving and conflict resolution. In cultivating these skills, Jharkhand youth will build the self-belief, agency and resilience needed to thrive emotionally, socially and academically – empowering them to positively transform their life trajectories and forge a path forward for themselves and their communities.
Program Results
The latest from WorldBeing
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