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Voices of Change: Youth, Social Work, and the Power of Prevention



By Aanvi Chauhan | Community Action Team, Nada India Foundation | July 2025

Today’s ActOn Youth Forum wasn’t just another event on the calendar — it was a spark. A lived experience. A safe space where young voices were not just heard, but valued. As an intern at Nada India Foundation, I had the opportunity to co-create and witness this platform, where learning merged with lived realities, and conversations turned into calls for action.

Our focus was bold and clear: Good Health and Well-being — not as a distant SDG, but as a shared responsibility. And at the center of this vision stood the youth.

Youth as Communicators: Making Health Human Again

One of the biggest barriers in community health is complexity — of language, of systems, of stigma. What if young people could simplify it?

We believe they can. Youth can be trained to demystify health issues like mental health, menstruation, or vaccinations using local languages, relatable stories, and creative formats — think street plays, Instagram reels, puppet shows, or peer-led circles. These are not just campaigns — they are lifelines. Youth translate abstract health jargon into community conversations.

They don’t just inform. They connect.

From Cure to Prevention: The Shift We Need

Doctors often focus on cure. But youth, under the guidance of trained social workers, can lead the movement for prevention.

This forum showcased youth-led efforts — cleanliness drives, nutrition awareness sessions, addiction prevention circles, menstrual hygiene workshops, and more — all organized with energy and empathy. These aren’t one-off events. They are acts of ownership, of reclaiming health as a shared community value.

And behind these initiatives, there is always mentorship. Social workers — not as silent supporters but as strategic leaders — guiding young changemakers, mobilizing ASHA workers, and building wellness-centered communities.

Leadership from the Ground: A Social Health Perspective

Mr. Suneel Vatsyayan, a national executive member of NAPSWI and a mentor to many of us, captured it beautifully:

“Social workers must lead from the front — not just treating illness, but preventing it. ASHA workers and youth together can strengthen our health system from the roots.”

We need to see health not just through a medical lens, but a social one — where prevention is not a supporting act, but the main narrative. In today’s fragmented health system, social workers are the glue — linking systems, people, and possibilities.

Lessons from the Forum: Listening to the Grassroots

As the domain lead for Good Health and Well-being, I reflected on the essential role of ASHA workers — women who walk miles, literally and metaphorically, to bring care to our villages. From managing NCD screenings to polio drives, from antenatal visits to health surveys — they are the first responders of our public health system.

But they remain under-recognized, underpaid, and at times, undervalued by the very communities they serve. Many community members still hesitate to engage with ASHA workers, missing the opportunity for early intervention.

Can youth help rebuild this trust?

Absolutely.

We proposed:

  • Digital badges or ID cards for ASHA workers to enhance credibility

  • Mobile applications in Hindi/local languages to connect, track, and monitor health trends

  • Collaborations with youth volunteers to bridge gaps in communication and outreach

  • Panchayat and RWA involvement to create enabling environments

Audience questions brought depth:

These questions weren’t just theoretical — they emerged from curiosity, from concern, from community.

Reflections: Reclaiming Prevention as a Profession

As we move towards 2030, there is an urgent need for the social work profession to reposition itself — not just supporting health from the margins, but shaping it from the center.

Prevention is not an optional extra. It is the intervention.

It’s time for policies to fund prevention, for systems to reward community building, and for social workers to be recognized as key actors — leading ASHA workers, mentoring youth, building wellness ecosystems at every level of society.

This forum gave us hope. It also gave us homework.

Closing Thought: Youth Are Not Just Beneficiaries — They Are Builders

As I stood at the forum, I didn’t just see my peers. I saw future health leaders, cultural translators, digital educators, prevention and good health champions.

We don’t need to wait for systems to be perfect. We can begin now. We are already doing it — with our voices, our stories, and our steps into the communities we belong to.

Let this not be the end of a forum. Let it be the start with a small step.... 

#YouthForPrevention #SocialWorkLeads #NadaIndiaFoundation #GoodHealthAndWellbeing #ReflectionsOfChange #ASHAWithYouth #WellnessNotIllness #VoicesOfChange

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