Amrita Awareness Ambassadors (AAA) – Health and Social Awareness Program
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, has declared Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham as a Center of Excellence in Tribal Empowerment (Tribal CoE). This multidisciplinary center has faculty expertise from various Amrita departments.
The Amrita Awareness Ambassadors (AAA) Program developed by Amrita Center for Research in Analytics, Technologies & Education (AmritaCREATE). This project seeks to build resilience and empower tribal adolescent boys and girls. The school-based program trains selected student ambassadors to spread awareness to peers, younger children in the local primary schools, as well as their tribal community, about substance abuse, nutrition and the value of education. The program targets tribal communities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Project objectives:
To build awareness on social and health topics among adolescent tribal boys and girls
To empower and build resilience of tribal adolescent boys and girls through peer awareness education.
Geographical area:
The study has been taking place in tribal hamlets and schools in the Namkum Block of Ranchi District in Jharkhand, and Kondagaon & Makdi Block in Kondagaon District in Chhattisgarh.
Programs at Malgaon Village by Ambassadors, Chhattisgarh Conducting Surveys at HSS, Jharkhand
Target group:
Adolescents from government and tribal schools from the selected area
Primary school students, and
Selected villages of the tribal communities.
Programs at Malgaon HS and HSS, Chhattisgarh Street Play and Program by Ambassadors at Middle School, Jharkhand
Main activities:
Ambassadors are trained by Amrita staff using the interactive curriculum, which includes monthly sessions on awareness of substance abuse.
Ambassadors conduct monthly programs using street plays and games as the instruction framework for peers, younger students and villagers.
The awareness program is being conducted to reduce prevalence of substance abuse and related health and social problems among tribal people by spreading information and encouraging change in counterproductive adolescent attitudes
The program is also expected to raise the self-esteem of both the ambassadors and the participating students.
