Medha\u2019s journey with Rubaroo began soon after her return to Hyderabad in 2019. Born and raised in the city, Medha had spent several years in different parts of India, including Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore, and Vizag. Her work before returning home was focused on educational institutions, but upon her return, she sought out organizations doing work in youth leadership and social-emotional learning (SEL). It was through this pursuit that she encountered Rubaroo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was Monisha, one of Rubaroo\u2019s co-founders, who introduced me to the organization. We had both attended programmes under the US Consulate, and that alumni network became crucial to discovering like-minded people,” <\/em>Medha recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her alignment with Rubaroo\u2019s mission was immediate, and soon after, she found herself collaborating with the organization on a project called “Writing Through Crisis,”<\/em> a program aimed at helping youth navigate the emotional challenges brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The COVID-19 lockdowns hit hard, especially for youth aged 17 to 22, those in the middle of key life transitions like starting college or dealing with the pressures of academic life. Medha saw this as an opportunity to document their experiences through writing. The project, \u201cWriting Through Crisis,\u201d<\/em> aimed to capture the stories of young people grappling with the surreal reality of lockdown and its socio-emotional toll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wanted to create a space for youth to express themselves, to reflect on how the world had stopped and how they felt about their uncertain futures. The pandemic was a global event, and its mental and emotional impact on students was profound,” <\/em>Medha explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The partnership with Rubaroo allowed Medha to secure funding for the program through a small grants initiative by the US Consulate, and soon, “Writing Through Crisis”<\/em> became a platform where youth could express their feelings and stories during uncertainty. The anthology created at the end of the program captured raw, heartfelt writings, some of which explored themes like timelessness, isolation, and reconnection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was fascinating to see how, even though much of the writing was about the pandemic, much of it wasn\u2019t. Many of the participants had never had the time or space to feel and write without academic pressure simply, and that\u2019s what came out of this programme, pure emotions and reflections,\u201d<\/em> Medha reflected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the conversation turned to mentorship and knowledge-sharing programmes at Rubaroo, Medha expressed her appreciation for how the organization nurtures youth through its peer-to-peer support system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMentorship is essential in today\u2019s world, especially for youth in India. The global economy is changing rapidly, and youth must be taken seriously. Programmes like Rubaroo\u2019s help them understand their potential and act as agents of change. The importance of having mentors, particularly those closer in age, is something I believe in deeply,” <\/em>she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medha also highlighted the necessity of such programmes for the youth of India, especially as the country has an exponentially growing young population, many of whom are already part of the workforce or preparing to enter it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Medha praised Rubaroo for its efforts in shaping the future leaders of tomorrow, she acknowledged the challenge that many organizations face: quantifying the impact of qualitative work. Rubaroo\u2019s programmes, such as sex education modules, do tremendous work in changing attitudes, but the true impact lies in behavior change, Medha argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile Rubaroo does fantastic work, it\u2019s crucial for them to capture the real impact of their programmes. It\u2019s not enough to simply report the number of sessions conducted or the number of schools reached. What matters is how many people\u2019s attitudes and knowledge have changed,\u201d <\/em>Medha emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She suggested that Rubaroo\u2019s future communications could benefit from showcasing the tangible changes in the lives of participants, like how many girls gained knowledge about contraception through the sex education modules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a mentor and someone who\u2019s worked closely with youth, Medha\u2019s advice to young changemakers was pragmatic and encouraging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst, treat every opportunity as a learning experience. Even if it doesn\u2019t make sense right now, keep being part of committees and action groups. In hindsight, you\u2019ll realize how much value it adds. Second, don\u2019t be afraid to pivot. Changemaking is a long-term process, and it can be disillusioning at times. Taking care of yourself financially and mentally is crucial because only then can you contribute meaningfully,” <\/em>Medha advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medha\u2019s involvement with Rubaroo may have started as a collaboration, but she now sees herself as a long-term supporter of the organization. Her next step? Joining Rubaroo\u2019s Interfaith Youth Leadership Program marks her second engagement with the organization, but this time as a participant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRubaroo\u2019s impact is hard to quantify but impossible to overlook. Their work, whether with youth leadership, interfaith dialogue, or social-emotional learning, shapes the values and identities of tomorrow\u2019s changemakers. It’s a beautiful testament to their dedication, and I\u2019m proud to be part of it,\u201d <\/em>Medha concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With changemakers like Medha, Rubaroo is shaping individuals and helping build a more inclusive and thoughtful society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medha, an advocate for youth-led initiatives, recently shared her experience working with Rubaroo and what sets it apart in the development sector.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":393,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[45,19,16,10,13,38,22,11,17,46,44,18],"class_list":["post-392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impact-stories","tag-collaboration","tag-confidence","tag-empowerment","tag-impact-stories","tag-interfaith","tag-leadership","tag-opportunity","tag-rubaroo","tag-social-change","tag-social-work","tag-writing","tag-young-people"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=2240%2C1260&ssl=1",2240,1260,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=1536%2C864&ssl=1",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=2048%2C1152&ssl=1",2048,1152,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Faiz Jiwani","author_link":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/author\/faiz-jiwani\/"},"category_info":"Impact Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Impact Stories","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-61.png?fit=2240%2C1260&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":418,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions\/418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Writing Through Crisis: A Space for Youth Expression<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Importance of Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Challenge of Measuring Impact<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Advice for Aspiring Changemakers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s Next in the Store?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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