Young
Gamechangers
Initiative
Nurturing youth leadership through learning, practice, and community action
A capacity-building collaboration with WHO and UN-Habitat — supporting youth-led action in Jatni, Odisha and beyond.
Young Gamechangers Initiative, Jatni Block, Bhubaneswar
YGI is a youth leadership and community engagement programme implemented by AaKAS in collaboration with UN-Habitat ↗, WHO SEARO ↗, and local institutions in Jatani, Odisha.
The initiative focuses on identifying, training, and mentoring young people to understand local development and health challenges, engage with communities, and translate learning into responsible action.
AaKAS played a key role in designing and delivering structured training, facilitating field exposure, mentoring youth groups, and guiding participants through real-world problem identification, planning, and community-based interventions. YGI emphasises learning by doing — strengthening youth capacity to engage thoughtfully, ethically, and sustainably.
Watch: Cancer Awareness Program — JYS Club × TATA Memorial Hospital
Four Pillars of the Young Gamechangers Initiative
A multi-partner ecosystem bringing credibility, systems-thinking, and local governance together to support transformative youth action.
Contributed a systems and community-development perspective, helping young participants understand how local challenges connect with broader urban and community contexts — strengthening their ability to work with communities in a structured and participatory way.
Through coordination with WHO, the initiative integrated public health thinking, ethical engagement, and evidence-based approaches — enabling young game changers to apply scientific reasoning and responsible practices in community work.
AaKAS led the identification, training, and continuous mentorship of young participants. Through structured learning, field exposure, and guided practice, youth were supported to transition toward independent and responsible community action.
The Jatani Municipality supported the initiative by facilitating local support and linking youth participants with municipal processes — grounding the initiative within the local governance context.
The most powerful lessons don't come from classrooms alone; they emerge when learning meets lived experience in the field.
From Training to Collective Action: The Yuva Shakti Club Journey
The YGI began with structured training and guided field exposure. As learning translated into practice, participants organically came together to form the Jatani Yuva Shakti (JYS) Club — a collective space that fostered shared identity, peer learning, and collaboration beyond individual participation.
As young participants progressed through training and field engagement, they came together to form the JYS Club — a collective platform that enables youth to collaborate, share learning, and work together on community issues beyond individual activities.
Through the JYS Club, young game changers began leading community-level activities, dialogues, and outreach efforts. The club created space for youth to take initiative, engage responsibly with communities, and apply learning in real-world contexts.
The JYS Club represents a shift from externally guided participation to independent, youth-led action. With continued peer support and grounding in ethical practice, members are now equipped to sustain community work over time.
Jatni Yuva Shakti Club
The Jatni Yuva Shakti Club is a community-based youth collective formed under the YGI to provide a structured platform for young people in Jatni to engage with local development, health, and social issues. The club brings together motivated youth who have undergone orientation, training, and field exposure to work collaboratively with their communities.
The club was created to ensure youth engagement continues beyond short-term trainings by providing a stable space for learning, mentorship, and collective action. It enables young people to stay connected, apply what they learn in real community settings, and contribute thoughtfully to local issues through sustained participation.
From Training to Youth-Led Change on the Ground
Young participants transitioned from guided activities to taking ownership of community engagement. Decision-making, planning, and coordination increasingly shifted to youth themselves.
The formation of the JYS Club created a shared space for collaboration, peer learning, and collective action — enabling continuity beyond individual involvement.
Youth began engaging directly with community members, facilitating discussions and initiatives grounded in local realities — a shift toward leadership that is context-aware and community-rooted.
What Partners & Youth Say
"AaKAS demonstrates a thoughtful and responsible approach to working with young people and communities. Their emphasis on structured guidance, ethical engagement, and grounding work in real-world contexts reflects a strong understanding of what sustainable capacity building requires. AaKAS brings credibility, clarity, and care to youth-focused initiatives, which is essential when working at the intersection of community action and public health."
"AaKAS played an important role in shaping how I understand community work and leadership. Through their guidance and mentorship, I learned how to work responsibly with people, think more clearly about local issues, and grow in confidence. AaKAS created a supportive environment where young people like me could learn, collaborate, and move forward with a sense of purpose."
Find Answers to Common Questions
Everything you need to know about AaKAS, our initiatives, and how to get involved.
- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
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- Volunteering or internships
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- Capacity-building initiatives
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