Reflections - PHRD Yearbook | 2020-21 by AMSA-India

about us. AMSA India represents Indian medical students interests in all the spheres of our society and thus provides an excellent platform for empowerment. The activities involve medical students in participating in various national and international conferences, academic bonanzas and philanthropic work. The directive of our organization is to inform, educate and counsel every medical student of India. The international activities Conference EAMSC are (January/February), AMSC (Conference: July/August) and AMSEP (Student exchange).

about AMSA was officially founded in Manila, Philippines in the year 1985, it is an active, dynamic and exciting student-led, not-for-profit and non-political organization with 27 member associates and observer nations. AMSA's vision is knowledge, action, friendship i.e. to share knowledge, undertake activities and social services and create international and inter continental friendships that lasts forever.

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This night is flawless, don't you let it go I'llitspend forever wondering if you knew This night is flawless, don't you let go m wonder struck, dancing around alonestruck, dancing around all I'm all wonder alone This night is flawless, don't you let it go 'll spend forever wondering if you I'll knew spend forever wondering if you I'm knew wonder struck, dancing around all alo

Public Health Stewardship Program "The greatest medicine of all is teaching people how to not need it" - Hippocrates. The Public Health Stewardship Program was based on the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations up until the year 2030. The aim of this project was to spread awareness of the health policies of the government into the community, acting essentially as a conduit for information. There were several on site activities like health hygiene workshop, breast cancer awareness and women and child healthcare.There are 11 Projects under PHSP currently.

01 02 03 04 05

Malnutrition and Zero Hunger Project Ahaar Abhiyan Health Education for Children Project छलांG Infectious Diseases Project Pact To Protect Clean water & SanitationProject W.A.S.H

Female Health- Project Astitva

06 07 08 09

Gender Equality- Project सा य

Occupational Healthcare Project Swasth Aajeevika Mental HealthProject Muskurahat SanitationProject Badlaav

Climate change and PollutionProject Roots

Addictions -Project Hope Stone

SAUNDARYA MONGA Letter from the Dear Readers, Director, PH&RD With the growth I have seen as the Regional Chairperson this Quarter, I know this message will not be able to cover all its aspects. AMSA-India 2020/21

From organising a national Spell-Bee competition, TriAMSEP to the first ever Virtual Patient challenge to be held in the country, AMSA India is stepping up, growing bigger and stronger with the support of the- The Executive Board and the Managing Board and most importantly "You must take the first leap of faith . the wonderful members of this family; without who’s enthusiasm every event that is You don't need to see the entire staircase - take it a step at a time ." organised under AMSA-India wouldn’t have been such a success. With a deep sense of humility, I would like to thank Dr.Rohini Dutta for reposing the Stepping into the position of Director of Public Health of AMSA India, with a vision confidence in me to lead the young medical fraternity of India. to establish a new department- was my leap of faith onto the staircase ! As a leader of such a dynamic national organization for medical students, I must say that Greetings leaders of tomorrow! every member, every partner, every idea at every level of the organization makes what an Setting up the Public Health & Research Department of AMSA India was both an opportunity and a like AMSA-India that, as the first quarter the executive board challenge.organization It excited and motivated me is. to Having join thesaid Executive Board Team for theofsecond consecutive comes to an end, signifying the start of a much bigger plan. With the launch of the MERSA, we year. want to workintowards and year making Research an at integral part of the life of Medical I'm currently studying my final bringing professional (part 1) M.B.B.S Maulana Azad Medical College, students, make the same to everyone. New Delhi. Infact , Iand only actually beganaccessible to appreciate the depth and multifaceted working of "Public

Letter from Regional Chairperso n AMSAIndia 2020-21

Health" after taking up this position at AMSA. Ironically , I stepped into the position about the same time wouldwoke like to the team the Newsletter for working tirelessly to ensure that they can ,that the Iworld upthank to realise the of importance of public health and we found ourselves in an bring situationyou news the from all over AMSA-India also beyond AMSA-India as we are featuring unprecedented Covid pandemic. Public and Health and Research Department of AMSA India entries from AMSA-Indonesian and AMSA-Thailand members themselves! I hope you have a has been my one silver lining during the dark times of 2020. The mention of "Public Health" reminds great( myself time reading the) of Newsletter and hope continue to and participate with the every medico included the thickness of ourtoPreventive andsupport Social medicine / Community medicine books ! same enthusiasm for the henceforth. Here at Public Health and Research Department, we aim to cultivate Practical PSM ( Or SPM for some ) at our level as medical Viva AMSA!!professionals of the future. My vision for Public Health and Research Department of AMSA Knowledge.Action.Friendship. India is " To see medical students who are empowered and have cultivated a network of responsible GlobalPromise leadersand whoOverDeliver" inspire not only other, but, also other "Under andeach that's our 'Vision 2020' Foryoung AMSAminds India through their own contribution sustainable development, in all spheres of Public Health." Priyanshtowards Nathani The work Regional of international medicalAMSA humanitarian organization like Medecins Sans Fronteres or ( Doctors ChairpersonIndia without borders) is perhaps the single largest source of inspiration for me . This is the kind of level of AMSA International 2020-21 dedication and commitment to a cause that I aspire for! From creating an autonomous working body & new social media handles , to designing the logo for PH&RD , I and the rest of my team are also currently working on 11 very unique public health projects under our Public Health Stewardship Programme . Our team started with

The Coordinators - the pillars of strength of PH&RD , The Project heads - the visionaries for PHSP Projects , soon joined by our formidable army of Project Officers ! Together we are a family of 65 inspired medicos driven by a common vision towards bringing about a positive change. It's heartening to see where we started from and where we are now. I'm proud to state that within just a few months , we have come a long way ahead, and I look forward to achieving newer greater heights for PH&RD in the future .

ANIES SIYA K S

Letter from Project Coordinator.

Dear Friends, Greetings to all! I, Coordinator of the Public Health and Research Department of AMSA-India, 2020-21, am very fortunate to be a part of this venture, to encourage and guide my fellow project heads & team to bring a definite influence to our nation. We could also cultivate impact on the future generations to an extent, paving way for a more responsible community, a well-informed nation. Setting stepping stones for a different and better scenario is the goal open to young minds. It has been my vision to provide the right environment for young minds to take wings. The love, care and grateful smile from students, teenagers, adults, parents, grandparents, colleagues and some cute smiles from the kids were the most momentous & the only valuables I earned and expect to gain more. At PHRD, we motivate students to work for a cause, strive towards betterment, and create a difference in our community. I believe that all the members of PHRD enjoy our time here working for the people with the same aim of attaining the UN SDG goals and achieve across a whole range of areas. Our motto, 'Health for one and Health for all' is our guiding force and we remain committed to our endeavour. I congratulate the Director of PHRD, Coordinators, the team of Project Heads & Officers of PHSP, and all others who worked behind for presenting the first issue of PHRD Report Book 'REFLECTIONS'. Through this, I invite everyone to have a glimpse of great success & brilliant minds. Warm wishes!

AIMAN PERWEEN AFSAR

Letter from Project coordinator. Hello Everyone! Setting alarms for instagram posts, engaging in video calls, organizing and coordinating events, and being recently rechristened as "Hawk Eye", here is Aiman My journey in PHRD began as a Coordinator. I can proudly say , I have witnessed the growth of Public Health and Research Department of AMSA India under the leadership of our Dumbledore , Ms Saundarya Monga. She has been such an amazing mentor and always made sure the work atmosphere was filled with positivity and creativity. From working on logo designs to organising events with international collaborations, I have learnt a lot. Public Health and Research Department has given me more than I could ever give to it. Along with the skills, I have also got to know a lot of amazing people, brimming with innovative ideas and pursuing them with dedication. "It's our community, and we need to uplift it, one step at a time", that's our aim. In the one year span, our team has definitely achieved a part of the aim and have set the standards high for the incoming officials. Good luck and all the best!

GUDIMETLA VASUDHA Letter from Project Coordinator.

Although my time here with the Public Health and research department is still short, working with the members here has made me realize how much potential we hold as young adults to make a change in our society. AMSA India gives the members unlimited opportunities to be creative and display their talent and workmanship. PH&RD although just a department, I do feel like we've created a very family-like atmosphere here, every video call with the members (no matter how fruitless) is always a memorable experience and working with people with similar ambitions always helps to open up your mind and understand more diverse perspectives. Being a part of PH&RD helps you develop some essential skills such as team-building, cooperation, event planning and more. Project Muskurahat and Project Hope Stone focus on mental health and addiction which are prevalent issues that aren't well addressed enough in a country like India. Young minds like ours are more ready to understand the struggles and help spread awareness on these topics instead of pushing them under the rug. Although it's quite cheesy I'd like to end with a quote do truly appreciate, "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." -Steve Jobs

SAHIL SONI

Letter from Project Coordinator.

Dear AMSA Members, Hope you all are taking good care of yourselves and your families. COVID 19 has affected our lives in a way that we’ve never imagined. We are a year behind, which may doesn’t seem a big deal at this moment, but would definitely affect us in the coming years. We knew we couldn't get the time back, But we wanted to make that time worth it. As medical students, contribution of our work to the cause was important and we decided to do it by making people aware. We chose to help by sharing the knowledge we had and took help from our present leaders, our teachers and the Present Doctors. Making people aware and helping them keep themselves protected from these diseases was our primary purpose and it still is. In this time of COVID, we should not forget that as medical students, we all have a duty towards this society, i.e., to keep them safe - To help them understand how to prevent getting infected, not just from COVID 19, but any such diseases. We here at the PHRD of AMSA India always try to do our best for the society and for you, Our beloved members of AMSA family. During my short 6 month tenure too, we’ve tried our best to keep you all updated and aware of the evils a lot among us are facing even today. My teams - Project Pact to Protect and Project Roots have put their extreme efforts to ensure our safety by spreading the knowledge they’ve gained throughout their term on Diseases like Hepatitis, AIDS, Filariasis & Mosquito Borne Diseases and Environmental Balance respectively. Time is crucial, we never know what’s waiting for us in the coming time, so all we can do is to focus on what’s under our control and leave the rest on almighty. In the end , I would like to say, never lose hope, never underestimate yourself because you’re important and no matter how hard it gets, how difficult the road become, there’s always a way, The sun rises again, no matter how long the night gets.

MESSAGE FROM OUR PROJECT HEADS AND OFFICERS

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work"

PUBLIC HEALTH STEWARD PROJECT ASTITVA

SDG

TARGETTED:

3.7

PROJECT HEADS: MEGHNA CHOUDHURY BHAVYA PAHWA

PROJECT AHAAR ABHIYAN SDG

PROJECT SWASTH AAJEEVIKA SDG

TARGETTED:

PROJECT HEAD: SAJAL GULATI

3.9

PROJECT HEADS: HARSHIL KRISHNANI VRINDA PAHUJA

PROJECT PACT TO PROTECT SDG

TARGETTED:

3.3

PROJECT HEADS: KULSUM MAHMOOD THANUSHA MENEZES YASHASVI ANAND AKANKSHA SINGH

PROJECT ROOTS SDG

TARGETTED:

PROJECT HEAD: MUSKAN CHAUDHARY

DSHIP PROGRAMME PROJECT BADLAAV SDG

TARGETTED:

3.3,

6.2

PROJECT HEAD: KARTHIKEYAN G.

PROJECT SAAMYA SDG

TARGETTED:

PROJECT HEAD: SWARNA K

PROJECT CHALAANG

SDG

TARGETTED:

3.4,

5.1,

5.2,

3.3

5.4

PROJECT HEADS: RAVLEEN KAUR AASTHA JOHRI

PROJECT W.A..S..H SDG

TARGETTED:

PROJECT HEAD: SANJALI DHARAMSHI

PROJECT HOPE PROJECT STONE MUSKURAHAT SDG

TARGETTED:

3.A,

3.4

3.5

PROJECT HEAD: SAFAL BOOB

SDG

TARGETTED:

3.4

PROJECT HEADS: ANANYA VADHERA ARPIT MAGO PARMANREET BHATTI ROHIT VASWANI

SAJAL GULATI

Letter from Project Head, Ahaar Abhiyan Hello one and all! I am a first year Medical student at Krishna institute of medical sciences, Karad, Maharashtra. I joined the Asian medical students Association in March’2020 and who knew the calls for Project Heads would get released in the upcoming week itself. I, being an aspiring leader, had a deep urge to apply for the post. Later in the evening, I had a chat about it with my family. They laughingly said that, “if it doesn’t affect your studies, go on!”. I applied for the post and got shortlisted. In the interview, Saundarya Monga, the Director of Public Health asked me what my vision was and why I had applied for the project. I had prepared well for such questions and I had the answers scripted in my mind but to my surprise, I spoke my heart out on the issues which concern me regarding Public Health. I mainly spoke on the prevailing issue of Malnutrition and healthcare issues arising due to this menace in the society. I wanted to do something for the welfare of the society and give something back to it from my side as an aspiring Doctor. As rightly said by Mahatma Gandhi, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values and your values become your destiny”. Keeping this in mind, Project Ahaar Abhiyan came into existence and I was the person charged with the responsibility to make it a success. I received my appointment letter on 1st June’ 2020. As we work aligned with the SDG goals developed by the UN, we target SDG 2 of “Zero hunger”. I got a really good National working group also. Together we did events named “ La lactencia Materna” & “ Health and Nutrition “ which ranged from Webinars to making clinical case presentations and leaving a positive and ever lasting impact on the lives of medical students as well as normal people. They went well, people participated in huge numbers. Enthusiasm and optimism were at the peak. It was a great experience leading as well as working alongside them. I would love to take this opportunity and mention the names of Divya Manoj and Abhinav Goyal here. They are two of the most talented and wonderful people that I had the privilege to work with. Right from coming up with new ideas to helping me bring them into existence to saving the day sometimes and then celebrating the sweet success , they have walked alongside me. Not to forget, the constant support I received from Saundarya Monga, the DoPH and Mehreet Chahal, the coordinator of my project. They constantly had my back. I had it etched in my heart that I’ll make my stay here as the Project head worthwhile and when my tenure ends and I look back, I’ll heave a sigh of success and happiness and say “Been there, done that.”

PROJECTOFFICERS ABHINAV GOYAL

DIVYA MANOJ K

Ahaar Abhiyan

MESSAGE Hi! I am Abhinav Goyal , Project Officer at Ahaar Abhiyan under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. I strongly believe that the key to building a society that is ready for the future, is to start with the most basic requirements of a human being, that is Nutrition and hence I joined Ahaar Abhiyan to help in propagating the end hunger drive in India. We here at Ahaar Abhiyan are targeting the SDG-2 : ZERO HUNGER, by organizing various events that reinforce the SDG in Indian settings. So far we have conducted 2 events, both held online, given the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Our first event was a webinar on the very first nutrition that a new born receives – Breastfeeding. The next event was a webinar on Balanced diet which was later followed by an interactive Problem based learning session. In both the webinars the attendees stayed immensely involved and overwhelmed us with their unique questions. Ending hunger is not a task that can be accomplished in a matter of days or months. All strata of the society need to work together to make it a reality, by being grateful for the food we have on our tables and being generous enough to share it with those who are not as fortunate.

Hi! I am Divya Manoj K ,Project Officer at Ahaar Abhiyan under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. The target of Project Ahaar Abhiyan is to tackle the issues under SDG 2, namely SDG 2.1 and SDG 2.2, in India, as our country faces one of the highest levels of hunger and malnutrition in the world. So far, our team has conducted numerous events for all sections of the society in order to create awareness regarding the same. Owing to the pandemic, most of the events were online. In the upcoming year, we expect to widen our reach by incorporating offline events too into our schedule in order to make a bigger impact and reach a wider audience. Being a part of the Project Ahaar Abhiyan team has been an extremely fulfilling and rewarding experience and we hope to continue to create a change, step by step.

BHAVYA PAHWA Letter from Project Head, Project Astitva Hi One and All! Started my journey with full enthusiasm at the PHRD dept as the Project Head for Astitva. Had great ideas in mind to do something good, to bring a change. This journey of a year from making proposals, contacting NGOs etc for collaborations to actually bring those ideas to reality, was incredible. But, if everything goes smoothly, there's no fun. Hence, there were a lot of ups and downs but as rightly said, "ANT BHALA TO SAB BHALA" I feel satisfied and more than happy to be a part of this family. I'm glad to have made so many friends like Saundarya, Meghna, Kashish, Sakshi and I got to learn a lot from young minds out there. Huge gratitude for believing in me and my team.

PROJECTOFFICERS KASHISH MAKHIJA Project Astitva

MESSAGE Hi! I am Kashish Makhija, Project Officer at Project Astitva under PH&RD, that focuses mainly on SDG 7 with emphasis on menstrual health. Working on this project has been particularly exciting as we’ve been able to come up with events and activities that are engaging and informative like: Menses Monday, where in aside from hosting the “Plastic-free menstruation” workshop, we also payed a tribute to our female covid warriors in the form of a video “Periods in PPE;” and a NWG Breastfeeding event in honor of Breastfeeding awareness week. Curating and executing these events has been an absolute pleasure as they have all supported some radical causes and given me a chance to interact with some really amazing people within and outside of PHRD.

SAKSHI BHARATI Project Astitva

Hi! I am Sakshi Bharati , Project Officer at Project Astitva under PH&RD. Working with PHRD & Team Astitva was really great. I enjoyed working with each and every person . I learned a lot by working in PHRD. Even though we never met we made a great connection with each other which helped us to work. This platform gave me a lot of exposure and definitely some new friends. Overall I had a great time working at PHRD as a project officer under team Astitva.

MEGHNA CHOUDHURY Letter from Project Head, Project Astitva Hello one and all! 'Intellectual capacity is no guarantee against being dead wrong' Carl Sagan Sustainable and conscious living is a core value which I, as a human being realised at the dawn of this new decade, after pausing-observing-introspecting. Our species have been the pioneers of the most groundbreaking discoveries which is constantly propelling us to new heights, opening us up to new possibilities owing to human ingenuity, but at the cost of monstrosity and callousness against mother nature. As this realisation struck, I felt I need to do something at my level, on my part, to halt if not reverse the ecological havoc that's being wreaked each day everyday. I have been fortunate enough to tumble upon this opportunity to apply for a Public Health Stewardship Program focusing on SDGs, and even more grateful that I was selected to lead a team and dedicate my efforts to one SDG for a year. Being a part of Project Astitva for me is akin to duty towards my community and towards mother nature via sustainability, at large. Though I had no particular inclination towards any one of the goals since all demand equal dedication, I believe that women's health and holistic empowerment is central to the theme of the upliftment of a community. 'If you nurture a woman, you nurture the roots of a family, a community, a nation.' -Meghna Choudhury It is our constant endeavour to come up with sustainable solutions to problems of female health, maternal and infant mortality. A small step is a step nonetheless, and through our small step we're hopeful that there would be better days to come, for women and for this planet.

PROJECTOFFICERS SAPTARSHI ROY Project Astitva

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Saptarshi Roy , Project Officer at Project Astitva under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. "Educate, Empower, Eradicate" - with these 3 "E" I entered PHRD as a project officer. After joining, I explored a lot of new things, aspects, problems in the society , brainstorm solutions and make other medicos aware of medicosocial aspects which we ignore easily. In these six months of organizing events nationwide, it not only created a difference, but I am also enlightened with it. I believe with our offline and online activities we will surely do something different in the society to educate, empower women and eradicate sexual diseases and myths of female reproductive health. Last but not the least, by targeting the SDGs our small efforts will surely help to bring down problems of female health in future!

UDIT GUPTA Project Astitva

Hi! I'm Udit Gupta , Project Officer at Project Astitva under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. Under Project Astitva, as Project Officer, we have done a doodle making competition in collaboration with NADA India and web charades competition on world population day. We have also done a workshop on plastic-free periods in collaboration with Bleed red go green ,Boondh cups and rotract district 3141. We are not planning any online events for now, owing to the pandemic and nationwide lockdown. Hence as for our plans for the month of Jan-Feb, if all goes well ,we will try to do some awareness campaigns with emphasis on HPV and pad-distribution drives under project Astitva.

KARTHIKEYAN G Letter from Project Head, Project Badlaav Hello one and all! Being a part of PHRD feels a lot like home. As a Project Head I got to do a lot of things and learnt a lot. It was great to be a part of Project Badlaav. I am happy that I was able to create a small change as P.H in this journey. I was able to do my part in all the events efficiently because of the great team I have. The Best best… Project Coordinator and the Best Project Officer. Being said about the Project Officer, Project Badlaav without Julianna = Not Interesting. As days pass by, PHRD from being a group became a family. Seeing a lot of amazing events come up, it motivated me to bring the best out of myself. PHRD has been the best thing that has happened to me ever since I joined AMSA-India. Wish to stay forever in this family.

PROJECTOFFICERS JULIANNA JINSON Project Badlaav

Hi! I'm JuliannaMESSAGE Jinson, Project Officer at Project Badlaav under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. Being a Project Officer has been a great project! And I mean it in the best possible sense. I got to get creative and push myself to come up with out of the box ideas. And the most incredible part of this journey is the fact that I have enjoyed every single moment of it! Be it meeting new people, creating modules or helping out with events, the fun of doing it all never gets old. And I'm sure it never will! I agree it has been a challenge to come up with different events and an even bigger task to be able to convince that'll it'll work out...but it's all a part of it. And without a few hurdles to get past, the whole thing just gets monotonous right? I am especially grateful to the amazing team I've been blessed with ever since I've joined AMSA. Here's to all the good times!

MANVI LAMBA Project Badlaav

Hi! I'm Manvi Lamba , Project Officer at Project Badlaav under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. My journey with PHRD was a short yet a pleasant one. Well, I wasn't so well versed in Twitter. But I am an adroit at this social media app now. Jokes apart, PHRD gave me an opportunity to work with an excellent team, allies so cheerful and uplifting. I joined as an utter naive, without any past experience of making a difference. And now I have a treasure full of laughter, wisdom, and skills. I even volunteered in my first health camp with PHRD. It made me realize my desire to brighten the health of those who can't afford fancy treatments at some posh hospital. It granted me a chance to give health care facilities to everyone, without discrimination. I learnt a lot working with Julianna and Karthikeyan in Project Badlaav. I brainstormed events propagating hygiene and sanitation. I wasn't good at it first , but thanks to these two souls for not losing patience with my blunders and recklessness. I gained lots of knowledge and expertise with them. I was so obsessed with working towards the betterment of my country, uplifting their social and mental health. PHRD helped me satisfy this hunger, yet left me starving.

SAFAL BOOB

Letter from Project Head, Project Hope Stone Hello one and all! “The priority of any addict is to anaesthetize the pain of living to ease the passage of day with some purchased relief” – Russell Brand. Keeping this statement in mind Team Hope Stone has tried to reach as many people as possible and create awareness about Addictions and Substance about – Their Causes & Rehabilitation. We strongly believe that even addicts like any other normal human being deserve proper help and support to overcome their problems. Project Hope Stone mainly targets S.D.G. 3.5 which aims on Strengthening Prevention & Treatment of Substance abuse, including narcotic drug and harmful use of alcohol. Addiction and Substance Abuse being considered a Taboo, generally people don’t speak about these topics due to the fear of being judged through our activities try to create a safe space for our participants where they could put down their views related to addiction without fear of being judged. Our main aim is to reduce the use of drugs and the incidences of drug addiction in medical students by 70%. We have successfully completed an amazing set of events. Our National Events include No Tobacco Campaign, ABC (Addiction Battling Campaign) Workshop and Polemic – A Nationwide Online Debate Competition. We had an amazing response in all these events and reached out to more than 3000+ Participants. An idea is never successful without an amazing team. I would like to thank the PH&RD family & the whole AMSA India Family for supporting us throughout. Let’s all take this small initiative and know more about this prevalent issue and help ourselves as well as our peers to overcome this disease of Addiction.

PROJECTOFFICERS SNEHA PATIL Project Hope Stone

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Sneha ,Project Officer at Project Hope Stone under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. "YOU rise by lifting others! " In this age of I don't care, we are a team; who believes Efforts are Cool, caring is Cool and being there for someone when they need it is indeed cool. After all, we all matter less than a lot but always more than none! I, a 1st MBBS student from HBT Medical College and Dr. RN Cooper Hospital believe that half of the problems can be solved just by listening to them. And diseases like Addictions which are deep rooted trees of seeds planted during Adolescence or even before that. So, doesn't the cure of the disease require intervention at this stage? We have a team of Project HOPE STONE targeted the future health care providers where the rate of substance abuse is increasing exponentially with every passing year and trained them to be individuals who are aware of their Actions and of those surrounding them. We launched various National as well as College level events which included Quizzes, Webinars, discussions and Taking Action to promote peer education among medical students. Our goal is to decrease the prevalence of substance abuse in medical students by 60% in 3 years.

YASHASVI SACHDEO

Project Hope Stone

Hi! I'm Yashasvi, Project Officer at Project Hope Stone under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. "We are all crazy, just in different ways", i believe. Magic happens when our crazy resonates with the enthusiasts surrounding us and THE RESONANCE that occurs makes sure The World is no More the Same! I am is fortunate enough to help people fight the battle they are fighting not with the world, but with themselves. THE BATTLE OF ADDICTION! Addictions shatters one's self esteem, purpose and all that one has worth appreciating without their judgement being clouded by the fog of addicted substance. His loved ones, the only near and dear ones, family, friends. All shattered completely! All these lives affected just because we are waiting for that one person to take action and battle their Addictions? Awareness campaigns, discussions, educational sessions, activities, Bingos, tongue twisters n what not. We as team HOPE STONE made sure participants don't just realize what addictions are but decide and say aloud, NO MORE! ENOUGH OF IT! And trained individuals to be supportive peers and understanding colleague. After all isn't addictions about running away because you did not have a hand to hold and an ear to hear ?

ANANYA VADHERA Letter from Project Head, Project Muskurahat Hello one and all! I'm Ananya Vadhera , 2nd year medical student at Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi and Project Head at Project Muskurahat. As a medical student, my one aim has been to serve society with my skills. When an opportunity to take part in the Public Health and Research Department of AMSA India came knocking at my door, I knew I had to grab it with both hands. During the pandemic and in a state of total lockdown, I believed that this opportunity could be best used to talk about mental health – which comes under SDG 3.4. My motto was a healthy body and a healthy mind, thus I was looking to bring forth events that encouraged physical activities and were liberating to the mind. One of my most precious events was Confessions Unplugged. Making good use of the anonymity online platforms can provide, this event let people speak their hearts out – anonymously, moderated by a psychologist. Another national events brought light to PTSD and Cyberbullying, while events at college/state level were thought provoking, myth-busting webinars. It is important for everyone to know that they are not alone, that troughs and crests are a part of life and that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, only if one remembers to turn on the light. Through the efforts of my team, I wish to remind people of this light – to be empathetic with people around them, and if they can, be the reason someone remembers their light.

PROJECTOFFICERS JOEL SABU Project Muskurahat

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Joel ,Project Officer at Project Muskurahat under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. The ongoing pandemic has not just wrecked us physically but has drained many of us mentally too. But how often have we discussed mental health before the onset of the Pandemic? What baffles me is, more often than not people disregard the mental entity of health. If someone has a tumor growing in their body, everyone encourages them to meet a doctor but God forbid they meet a therapist to seek professional help for mental ailments, they are shamed and labelled as sympathy seekers and what not. People are often barred from talking about their mental illnesses openly because of the taboo that’s still maneuvering amidst us. When a person survives something that can take a toll on his/her/their mental health or if a person is saved while he/she was trying to commit suicide, they’re taken to the hospital for physical treatment but rehabilitation and counselling are often disregarded and this may deteriorate the quality of life of the survivor. Reckoning the vitality of mental well being, I decided to join Muskurahat to play a part in aiming at a better tomorrow where mental illness is treated just like physical illnesses.

RACHANA PADHKE Project Muskurahat

Hi! I'm Rachana, Project Officer at Project Muskurahat under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. Although the general perception of mental illness has improved over the past decades, studies show that stigma against mental illness is still powerful, largely due to media stereotypes and lack of education, and that people tend to attach negative stigmas to mental health conditions at a far higher rate than to other diseases and disabilities, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease. The added threat of COVID 19 doesn’t help. The aftermath of this pandemic will see an enormous rise in mental health issues because of the fear and uncertainty surrounding it and the loneliness and financial strain it has imposed on many. Spreading awareness about mental health, primarily in local languages to maximize reach while making necessary counselling approachable and affordable to majority is the need of the hour. The notion that success and money equals happiness needs to be changed. It is necessary to work actively towards destigmatizing mental health disorders and normalize psychiatric counselling to prevent mishaps. Project Muskurahat gives me that opportunity to make change, a platform to speak and spread awareness towards mental health.

PARMANREET BHATTI Letter from Project Head, Project Muskurahat Hello one and all! Every 40 seconds someone loses their life to suicide. This is unbelievable and heartbreaking.. Around 800,000 people die of suicide every year, the World Health Organisation said. Conversations about mental illness remain largely stifled due to the stigma it is associated with. Insuring mental illness is a bigger challenge than covering physical illnesses. Having seen my own loved ones suffer through mental health issues, I had always wanted to contribute towards a cause that is so close to my heart. So when I first came across AMSA, India and its various initiative under the PHRD department, I knew this would be the beginning of something wonderful- Project Muskurahat. Through my six month journey as Parmanreet Bhatti , The Project Head for Project Muskurahat, I have realised how true this is : “Having a vision for what you want is not enough. Vision without execution is hallucination.” - Thomas A. Edison With every event conducted successfully , not only has the project succeeded in making a powerful impact, but it also has made me realise it is not the Ideas that make you rich. Rather the correct execution of ideas does. This project shall always make us realise that ‘You yourself as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection’. I am so proud to be led forward by a person who is not only our DoPH but is also an amazing human. It is a privilege to work under your leadership ma’am.Thank you!

PROJECTOFFICERS SUBHRA SAHU Project Muskurahat

MESSAGE Even though we live in the 21st century, talking about our emotions and expressing them is still a taboo. We belong to a community which believes that communicating your raw emotions through talking or crying makes you weak and not worthy of facing life. So now even when we are faced with adversity, even though we cripple down, we are forced to throw in a brave face and pretend like the world is fair and we are okay. But nobody ever tells us that it is okay not to be okay. As I was reading through Project Muskurahat aims and objectives, it resonated my purpose and immediately made me apply for the National Project Officer position. It not only made me believe that this is one solid platform to reach out to the mass but also gave me the chance to be one of the soldiers in the army to fight against the restricted belief systems about mental health in our society. Through my six month journey as Subhra Sahu from VIMS&RC, The Project Officer, I have learnt to be empathetic, authentic and disciplined. The learning which I am the most grateful for is never to stop learning as once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

RADHIKA JALAN Project Muskurahat

In our society the physical aspect of health is considered way more important than mental health. The stigma and prejudice that surrounds it prevents individuals from expressing their feelings and vulnerabilities. Over the years awareness about mental health has increased. However there is a long way to go. There are many people who still don't understand what they are going through. They are made to believe that's it's their fault. The discrimination and bullying involved. Also the lack of resources for treatment and help. There are many others factors that need to be considered to ensure mental health and wellbeing. Therefore I, Radhika Jalan from HBT Medical College feel extremely grateful to be the Project officer of Project Muskurahat. To be given a platform where I am able to contribute towards educating people about mental health even in a small manner is very gratifying.

ROHIT VASWANI Letter from Project Head, Project Muskurahat Hello one and all! Some people think of “work” as a four-letter word, but working with amsa has been time spent with truly great people. Thank you to each and every member for helping me through my time here and thank you in advance for keeping in touch. I have learnt so much during my tenure , it was all so new to me when I had joined AMSA and every minute that I gave to this amazing organisation was worth it . I hope to work again in AMSA maybe in some other part this time . My very best to each of you Thank you so much !

PROJECTOFFICERS PRATHAM MEHTA Project Muskurahat

MESSAGE

Hi! I'm the Project Officer at Project Muskurahat under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I am a 1st year med student at JSS Medical College, Mysore, Karnataka.

DEEPAL GUPTA Project Muskurahat

Hi! I'm Deepal Gupta , Project Officer at Project Muskurahat under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA, am a 2nd year med student of JNMC Wardha. AMSA has given me the opportunity to seek new roles which leverage my skills in the medical field. it has helped me debunk the preconceived notion of having a boring med school life. i have learned so much during my time here. I would like to thank each and everyone one i have worked with for their guidance and mentorship. i hope to continue with this esteemed organisation and endeavour to bring more awareness, break taboos, and working on self.

ARPIT MAGO Letter from Project Head, Project Muskurahat Hello one and all!

“Mental health, is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” – Noam Shpancer, PhD Over the years significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy by reducing common killers of physical health. But Health according to WHO is an state of physical ,mental and social well being and not mere absence of disease and infirmity” Hello, fellow Public Health enthusiasts !! I am Arpit Mago ,Third year Med Student at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College ,Belgaum . I feel we have never given due importance to our mental wellbeing. Globally the rat race of competition has made people fret over future prospects and predict what might happen, seldom living and enjoying the present., Though the COVID 19 pandemic did bring the entire world to a halt yet as a lotus in a dirty pond it highlighted the importance and impact of mental health on mankind. Contrary to the popular notion mental health disorders are not restricted to depression ,mania or anxiety; they are far more than what we ever think. Conditions like Bipolar and Eating disorders rarely find mention in our day to day life and it is my sincere effort to create a change by holding awareness sessions, patient talks and exploring the unplumbed avenues of Mental health Entrepreneurship to create a positive change the world needs now more than ever. Leading a National Project on Mental Health under PH &RD Department of AMSA-INDIA is nothing less than a dream come true. It's been a wonderful journey till now working for a cause which is so close to my heart and I must thank Our Coordinator Siya who has been always up for solving the smallest of problems.The journey will never be easy but it if we have such supportive people I believe we gotta fly.So let's be the baton of change and break this stigma of not seeking professional help being scared of being called paagal for visiting a psychiatrist. Always remember “Don’t give in to stigma. A diagnosis does not determine who you are or what you can do!”

PROJECTOFFICERS SRISHTI GOEL

ATUL KRISHNA

Project Muskurahat

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Srishti Goel ,Project Officer at Project Muskurahat under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. My vision for Project MUSKURAHAT focuses on incorporating the roots of AMSA in the project itself, Knowledge, Action, and Friendship. I aim at the 4 ‘P’s governed by the WHO namely PROMOTION of mental well being PREVENTION of mental disorders PROTECTION of human rights and PROVISION of care to the people affected by mental illnesses. I have designed the personal developmental goals to fulfil these criteria focusing on mental health and everyday life, substance abuse, equality and mental health including gender and LGBTQ+ equality, poverty and mental health. AMSA India is a sublime platform which can help fervent medicos in attainment of these goals via passion, diligence, brainstorming, and application of the intelligent ideas designed by their beautiful minds.

Hi! I'm the Project Officer at Project Muskurahat under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I am an Intern at Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra.

YASHASVI ANAND Letter from Project Head, Pact to Protect Hello one and all! Each day when i see my insta feed , I feel blessed see content that's actually impacting our societie's health, people whom i never met turning to be my friends and at last plans turning into action and impacting public health. With a warm heart

Thanking you for making me part of these fam!

PROJECTOFFICERS VALLABH PATEL

ABHIJEET RAJ

Pact to Protect

Hi! I'm Vallabh,MESSAGE Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. My experience with the PHRD has been interesting, although the pandemic did play a negative role on the experience as a whole. We were involved in planning a health camp targeting filariasis in an endemic area in rural maharashtra. Hope to work towards seeing that plan reach execution, and have a positive impact on Healthcare in that area.

Hi! I'm Abhijeet , Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. I'm glad I was the part of PHRD. I came across a lot of opportunities and have a lot of experiences which not only added more confidence to my personality but also encouraged me to do more social services in future to help the needy and serve them. I was lucky enough to have teammates as Yashashvi,my project head who gave me this opportunity to work under her project and Vallabh ,as project officer other than me who helped me in every way possible to come with ideas and new approaches for our project. Lastly I'll just say that this was one of the best project I came across till now.

AKANKSHA SINGH Letter from Project Head, Pact to Protect Hello one and all! “Never underestimate the difference YOU can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out and help” Making a difference, a change, something that makes people out there have faith that we care not only as medical students but as members of the same world they live in, to help them fight the problems they are living with and to help them believe that they are not alone is at the core of being a project head for me. In 2016, every country in the world committed to eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030, however, few countries are on track to meet this target and the speed with which we are working to tackle the disease won’t help us in the elimination on time. In the order to make sure that this elimination becomes a reality we must act now and that is what we want to contribute through this project. We don't work for being recognized here, we work to make others feel recognized, feel heard and feel safe. We have only one purpose as a part of this team - to contribute in some way to making things better. Helping others and making a difference in the world is what will help to make the world a better place by improving people’s lives. One person at a time, one day at a time, and one project at a time, as a part of pact to protect we want to make a change that will leave a lasting impact on the people of the world. Never forget that even by taking small steps in contributing to the people out there, we can change the world and make it a better place.

PROJECTOFFICERS PARIKSHIT SEN Pact to Protect

MESSAGE

Hi! I'm Parikshit, Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Viral Hepatitis is a deadly disease, innocuous in its onset, and insidious and harrowingly prolonged in its progression...a global silent killer, it destroys millions of lives and livelihoods...and yet, dwells in chronic neglect, inattention, and misinformation. What makes this disease most painful to bear is not its pathophysiology, but the severe social stigma associated with it...a major barrier to prevention, early detection, and proper treatment. A first year student, ecstatic in the euphoria of a new beginning, comfortable amongst the familiar diagrams of anatomy, I barely knew anything about viral hepatitis...apart from the fact that I had been endlessly procrastinating getting a Hepatitis B vaccination for an embarrassingly long time now. I was entering unfamiliar territory, but what a truly incredible journey it’s been. Through Project Pact to Protect, we not only aim to empower physicians in training with information about the current clinical aspects of this disease, but to combat the prevailing stigma surrounding this disease.

SRISHTI XALXO Pact to Protect

Hi! I'm Srishti Xalxo, Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. “All you need to create change around you is your desire for it and the belief that you in fact can”. I always wanted to be more than a student. To learn more, deliver more and amplify beyond what is conventional as a medico. In my search for opportunities that gave me a sense of purpose & motivation to start each day with a chance to make an impact that would touch several lives directly or indirectly, I found Pact to Protect and its mission resonated with me. In our country, with poor WASH standards, lack of awareness, education but most of all, the willingness to acknowledge the severity of the Hepatitis epidemic along with its consequences- there is an urgent need for intervention. I can’t think of anyone better than us youth who has the passion, perseverance and confidence to question our governments to act responsibly. When we fight against Viral Hepatitis we not only fight for more than 60 million of our own people who continue to struggle with it but millions of others who’re oblivious of its significance, prevalence and the ways to tackle a disease that kills more than HIV, Malaria and TB combined.

THANUSHA MENEZES Letter from Project Head, Pact to Protect Hello one and all! Anyone can get sick- with just 1 bite. Mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Filariasis, Japanese Encephalitis. Malaria alone causes an estimated 219 Million cases globally and results in 400,000 deaths EVERY year. In which, India accounts for 70% of Malaria cases and 60% Malaria deaths in South East Asia region. This is partly due to the crucial gap in knowledge and preventive practices regarding Mosquito borne diseases. Thus, Project PACT TO PROTECT against Mosquito borne Diseases is intensifying effort towards creating public knowledge and mobilising Community about the correct use of preventive measures against Mosquito borne diseases. Project PACT TO PROTECT conducted the MOZZIE WIPEOUT CHALLENGE over 27 days starting on the Indian Independence Day to FIGHT THE BITE by eliminating Mosquito breeding sites.

PROJECTOFFICERS SOMESH PATTAR

ROOHDEEP KAUR

Pact to Protect

Hi! I'm SomeshMESSAGE Pattar, Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I am first year MBBS student at BIMS Belgaum . Near to our living region there are many vector born diseases . Most of them are spread by Mosquitoes . After getting PO responsibility in PHRD I could able to understand and device out many solutions through whole team . Here prevention matters the most and we worked on bringing up the innovative preventing measures . I really happy to work with my team . I am learning so much from them . Will keep working to "Fight the Bite'.

Hi! I'm Roohdeep Kaur , Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. As a 3rd year medical student at PIMS Jalandhar my focus being on the preventive medicine, I chose the Project Pact to Protect to involve myself with the eradication of Mosquito borne diseases. Especially in the times of covid when everyone forgot to take precautions regarding the lesser evils like dengue, we came up with the Mozzie Wipeout challenge and made the participants render the potential mosquito breeding sites ineffective. Even if we got able to prevent one case of Dengue we consider our project a success. PTP has taught me the meaning of teamwork even when my team members are miles apart. Every day has been a learning experience involving the Wise Wednesdays with my team. I am highly grateful to AMSA for choosing me as the project officer so I could become a part of a vision that aspires to bring change.

KULSUM MAHMOOD Letter from Project Head, Pact to Protect Hello one and all! I'm Kulsum Mahmood, the Project Head for “Project Pact To Protect against TB and HIV”, currently pursuing my MBBS from JNMC, Belagavi. India accounts for 1/5th of the global TB burden, a vast majority of which, tested HIV+ too. Millions of Indians annually lose their lives: the reluctance and inability to seek treatment, and the social stigma attached to these illnesses, are broadly why so. Throughout the years, I’ve greatly been drawn towards the vision of India where healthcare is accessible and feasible to all, and citizens are empowered with awareness. People deserve to heal, people deserve acceptance. As a future healthcare provider, that’s the vision I want to work on. I’m extremely grateful to the PH&R Department for providing me with the opportunity to make an impact, and work alongside a brilliant team!

PROJECTOFFICERS MAHEK PANPALIYA Pact to Protect

Hi! I'm Mahek MESSAGE Panpaliya, the Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I , 1st year MBBS student from JNMC, Wardha and a project officer of pact to protect against TB and HIV. I am modest but hardworking and I consistently set firm goals for myself. Being a voracious reader I always end up myself reading a new novel every week or two. Nonetheless, Binging netflix and listening music also helped me to get through this unexpected 2020. I always needed a platform where I could talk to a lot of people, share my knowledge and ideas, and fulfill my crave of creating a huge impact on the society. and also working with such a big team will not only broaden my knowledge but also enhance my creativity. And this project has served it best.

DHRITI MANGAL Pact to Protect

Hi! I'm Dhriti Mangal, the Project Officer at Project Pact to Protect under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. It has been a pleasure working with my Project Head, Kulsum Ma'am and with such a wonderful team of PHRD. In the process of making others aware, it was an eye opener and a great learning experience for me as well. It has been really fun using creative ways to impart information and engage with the community to make a difference. I also got to interact with a lot of amazing individuals throughout the journey. I’m grateful for this opportunity and look forward to working more with AMSA!

MUSKAN CHAUDHARY Letter from Project Head, Project Roots Hello one and all! Life’s not just a hustle bustle or a graph with different amplitudes but it’s a “beautiful” journey. Ever wondered it’s so amazing to you see life existing within you and IN FRONT of you, THE NATURE. We have an unasked blessing with us, the skies, the oceans, the forests “amongst” which we thrive. We all are connected with nature, we are nature. Here what PROJECT ROOTs tried to reconnect back with the ROOTs, THE NATURE, targeting SDGs 13,14 Event’s like VAN MAH, NATURE’S SUNSCREEN during this PANDEMIC with no social engagements tried to engage, analyse & estimate the presence of knowledge and interest people showed in rebuilding the connection with the nature respectively by staying at their homes. Through this year’s journey we aren’t disappointed by the people’s want to have a sustainable change in their lives. “PEOPLE WANT A CHANGE & YES A GOOD CHANGE” PROJECT ROOTs in the upcoming years will try to uplift the same agenda with more thrill and excitement.

PROJECTOFFICERS JAY VERMA

YUKTA EPHRAIM

Project Roots

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Jay , Project Officer at Project Roots under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. It is an interesting and impactful experience to serve as a PO for Roots. I also learned a lot myself. Being able to contribute towards environmental action at a national scale gave me a lot of satisfaction. I think these processes can be made more efficient if we have the choice to include CHs in national events.

Hi! I'm Yukta, Project Officer at Project Roots under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. My journey being a project officer under PHSP project- Project Roots has definitely been an interesting one. All the work that I have done along with my fellow colleagues has enabled me to gain more experience and skills through this time. The guidance that I have received from our director and co-ordinator is far beyond description. They have helped us through every small detail and always encouraged us to think out of the box. It has been a pleasure working with PHSP and the entire team. I hope to always stay a part of it in the future and wish great success ahead to PHSP.

SANJALI DHARAMSHI Letter from Project Head, Project WASH Hello one and all! "Billions on this planet and not one without the need for water". I, an MBBS student at VIMS & RC and currently the project head of Project W.A.S.H. of Public Health and Research Department of AMSA India, which is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 6 of United Nations: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). I was all but new at AMSA, figuring out my way around it and learning things about it when i came across the public health and sterwardship programme. i had spent 2 years trying to make an affordable filter and PHRD seemed the right fit to bring it to people. Although we have a long way to go, i am amazed by what work we all did. In a short span of time, not only have I grown but i have seen my Project Officers grow, my coordinators grow, and ofcourse my DoP along with all the other working team. to say that we all are just students, and we collaborate with such amazing organisations who have helped millions and have helped us help many more. Getting to know these amazing people who turned colleagues to friends was not a long journey. I am so glad i made a choice to join this mission of Saundarya to try and make this world a little better day by day, one step at a time. Even this pandemic could not have stopped us and dint set us back, instead made us think and made our project better than the best! I will always be grateful for such a wonderful oppourtunity and such amazing people. Thank you, everyone, cause i know all each of us ever wanted was to help atleast one person, and i know we helped many. Atleast they all have helped me for which i will forever be grateful.

PROJECTOFFICERS ESHWAR RAJESH Project WASH

Hi! I'm EshwarMESSAGE Rajesh, Project Officer at Project WASH . A 3rd year medico from Madras Medical College. The fear of not having access to safe drinking water has bothered me right from early childhood when I lived in Visakhapatnam, a highly developed city, yet we had to pay so much for clean water. Things only got more scary after moving to Chennai (that's where I live now) where unlimited access to safe water looked like a luxury. Fortunately my family could afford to pay for "buying" water. But I realized the real tragedy of this situation an year ago when I came across this area in Chennai as part of our community medicine field visit where the underprivileged were suffering without basic amenities like safe water and sanitation facilities. Less than 50 percent of the population of India has access to safely managed drinking water (Ref: https://www.unicef.org/india/what-wedo/clean-drinking-water). The problem is huge...the media constantly reinstate yet it takes so much of personal experience to feel the pain and realize the gravity of the situation. I had been looking forward to an opportunity where I could contribute to the change I always wanted to see. And that was the motivation behind me joining Project WASH.

OJAS BALAJI Project WASH

Hi! I'm Ojas, Project Officer at Project WASH under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. Being in Project WASH is an experience not many people get in their college life, as a project officer being involved in a lot of different events with a lot of different people is really a great experience not just a learning one but a really fun learning one. While I might have joined as a project officer to get an extra certificate for my resume, I can personally confirm that what I have gained from the experience so far is much more. This role like any other comes with a lot of work and there is no point in denying it, however there is a sense of satisfaction when events are done and all that work comes to fruition. With the help of a really great Project head and co-officer a lot of work still didn’t seem as hectic, being able to share the burden and all the joys is truly a wonderful thing to look forward to. In past months, we have been organizing multiple events with the association of college heads across the country such as Mad-Ads competition, Poster making competition and Webinars, along with these I have also been a part of organizing an MUN at many different levels from designing the poster and google forms to spreading the word.

RAVLEEN KAUR Letter from Project Head, Project छलांG Hello one and all!

I am Ravleen Kaur , a 3rd year med student from GMC, Patiala. I have been part of this amazing organisation since 1st year . In my journey from college head to leading the project छलांG as a Project head , i had a great experience and beautiful memories in working as a team . Project छलांG was created with a vision to spread awareness about communicable and non- communicable diseases, targeting SDG- 3.3 and 3.4 . What makes us different from other projects is our target audience i.e children. We’ve been working for betterment of children. Our events ranging from #raise a glass challenge on World milk day , making awareness videos on World ORS , educating children about first aid, gender equality through event Guru-cool, conducting a Natural level debate contest Polemic and educating young girls about nutrition and health in association with Naaz foundation , we feel accomplished to teach these young minds of our country and nurturing them with our best. PHRD has provided me with such a experience which I would have not gained in my whole medical career. I feel very privileged to be part of this team and also thank my coPH and my core team for making me achieve the vision of this project.

PROJECTOFFICERS IKSHITA NAGAR Project छलांG

MESSAGE I'm Ikshita ,a third year medical student at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Subharti Medical College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. I came to know about the Public Health & Research Department of AMSA through Instagram. Immediately, I was eager to be a part of the team. The concept of working on SDGs sounded interesting yet impactful to me. When I looked up the details about various projects, Project Chalaang caught my attention. Not only was it aimed at making changes at the grassroot levels, but also it gave me a chance to work with little children who will be the youth of tomorrow. The team is amazing, it gave me a chance to work and learn from great minds and progress while doing so. The impact of the project has been astounding as well. Not only, did we teach younger minds about First Aid, Gender Discrimination and Nutrition but we also interacted with the teens and learnt about their perspective on various topics. This project made me realize what huge impacts can small efforts have. All in all it has been an amazing journey till date and I hope it never ends. Project Chalaang helped me discover the kid in me and also helped me make a difference with the knowledge and resources I possess.

SUKUL KHANNA Project छलांG

Hi! I'm Sukul , Project Officer at Project छलांG under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I am a second year medical student at University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. I came to know about the PHRD through Instagram and immediately wanted to be a part of it. I interviewed and got selected to work as a project officer under AMSA India. I'm highly obliged to their PHRD, the coordinators, director and PH. It was great to be associated with Project छलांG and work on the SDGs. From teaching kids all over India about hand hygiene and balanced diets over Zoom, to working with various NGOs and teaching them about various proximate of food, it has been a great learning opportunity. It gave me knowledge that I probably would not have acquired from anywhere else. It helped me do my bit towards the society and uplift the people of my country. I'm glad I could be a part of such a noble initiative.

AASTHA JOHRI Letter from Project Head, Project छलांG Hello one and all! I'm Aastha Johri ,a 3rd year MBBS student at Maulana Azad Medical College and currently, the Project head of Project छलांG! I joined the Public Health and Research Department to try my best to make this world a better place for as many lives as I cross the paths of. I set out to target the aspects most concerning to me: burden of communicable diseases, poor knowledge of good nutrition and the extreme gender discrimination prevalent everywhere. We kicked off our mission with a RaiseAGlass challenge on World Milk Day to spread awareness about importance of calcium, vitamin D and bone health. With Operation GuruCool, we met our target audience for the very first time: children! We talked about all- personal hygiene, first aid and gender equality! This is our most successful event yet, as it was conducted for 2 schools by the core team, and in 3 NGO centers by 3 college heads of our NWG! We even made an awareness video on the occasion of World ORS day and then a health awareness session with the renowned NGO, Naz, for young girls! It has been an amazing ride, working with my project Co-head, the entire core team and the National Working Group. I feel really happy to be able to execute my vision, in fact the improved vision due to the inputs of my amazing team. We hope to continue impact our world positively, strive for betterment and stride ahead forever!

PROJECTOFFICERS AAKRITI SAHRAWAT

ARPIT

Project छलांG

Hi! I'm Aakriti ,MESSAGE Project Officer at Project छलांG under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. Being a part of Project छलांG! has been one of the few good things about this year for me. Not only did I get to work for, and educate others about key issues plaguing the children of our country, I got to do so in a really fun and exciting way. From the children I interacted with, to the people working alongside me, I got to know a lot of amazing people. Out of all the events that we had, Project GuruCool was the one I enjoyed participating in the most. Talking to all those kids was a really special experience. Even making the ORS video for World ORS Day was extremely fun as I got to include my younger cousins in it too. With work that seldon feels like work, and a great team, Project छलांG! has been an extraordinary experience that I'm so glad to be a part of.

Hi! I'm Arpit , Project Officer at Project छलांG under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I still remember the day when I heard about the opening calls of PHSP. I was way more than excited to be a part of something bigger than me, something through which I can actually make some difference. Going through the list of projects, there were a few that resonated but when I came across Project छलांG I knew that it was it! I have always felt a strong connection to kids and this was actually some way I could go out of my way and do something for them. And honestly, Project छलांG and our amazing team has provided me with so many opportunities to plant seeds that ultimately will grow into mighty trees of knowledge of the future and through each one will make a difference in hundreds of other lives. May it be the simple ORS video or the whole GuruCool and Swasthya ki छलांG series, all of which took utmost dedication and teamwork, the results were definitely worthwhile in the end. I'm not sure if they will remember these lessons and little things that we taught them but I'm sure they will always take the message of helping others and spreading a wave of awareness wherever they go with them.

SWARNA K. Letter from Project Head, Project सा य Hello one and all! "Gender equality is the goal that will help abolish poverty that will create more equal economies, fairer societies and happier men, women & children." – Graça Machel. When I was asked to give a message as the Project Head, I immediately remembered Graça Machel's words. These words are deeply embedded in the minds and hearts of the members of Team सा य. The very spirit of सा य is upholding human rights and treating all beings with compassion and respect- irrespective of gender, race, caste, or sexuality. We believe gender is an ever-expanding spectrum, and everyone has the right to live a violence-free life. Project सा य's primary focus is Sexual and Gender Based Violence- Female Genital Mutilation, Rape, Acid Attacks, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking are some of its many existing forms. It is deeply saddening to see people around the world living lives full of violence and discrimination, with little to no human rights. Beginning with highschool children to adults of all ages, we sensitize, advocate, and facilitate aid to overcome this violence. With every passing day, not only has the project succeeded in making a powerful impact, but it also has played a crucial factor in my personal growth. It has given me a medium to express my thoughts and the resources to convert these thoughts into actions. Be it the interaction with the lovely Sheroes or learning hard-hitting facts about the treatment of the queer community, every experience has solidified my intention, expanded my vision and empowered me as a woman, student and future healthcare professional. I would like to end my message by thanking the PH&RD family and the AMSA India family for their support and enthusiasm. Let's all dream big, think different, and stand for our beliefs. Change begins with you.

PROJECTOFFICERS AKANKSHA MAHAJAN Project सा य

MESSAGE Hi , I'm Akanksha, Project Officer , Project सा य. Jane Austen once quoted : "I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives." As we all know, that in our society females no matter how privileged they are ,to an extent we all face some sort of discrimination or in other words no matter from where we come from, we are never treated the same. Whether it’s school or home or workplace, We all know in our hearts of hearts that we have all experienced those differences. And this is what made me feel that despite being privileged when I can’t be as equal as a man what about the women who are underprivileged and this is what inspired me to join project सा य as a college head and I became a part of the NWG of the project. And then I realized it’s not just the quality of males and females that we need because there’s so much more than that we are neglecting. I learnt about how the members of LGBTQ+ community are discriminated against today; although we are talking about the women’s equality but we are still not paying heed to the needs of the queer community. It’s a pity that the sexual offences against queer has much lesser punishment.

CHAVI ARORA Project सा य

Hi! I, Project Officer at Project सा य under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I am Chavi Arora, a second year medical student from Haryana. सा य is a project that aims at unleashing a movement for gender equality, starting within PH&RD and radiating to every corner. I am motivated to work as a part of Project सा य to be able to bridge the gender gap in opportunities, make the world see gender as a spectrum and work towards advancing the rights for all genders by ensuring education and awareness. Meeting several inspirational women through the project has broadened the horizons of my knowledge about equality and that, has in turn driven me to become even more passionate for the project, it’s goals and its objectives.

HARSHIL KRISHNANI Letter from Project Head, Swasth Aajeevika Hello one and all! I'm Harshil , a first-year medical student from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Wardha (MH). On board as the Project Head of Project ‘SWASTH AAJEEVIKA’ under PHRD-AMSA INDIA. This project is extremely close to my heart as it helped me to understand the significance of Public Health and the need to enhance occupational healthcare. As a healthcare provider our aims is to inform, educate and empower people about health issues. My experience at PHRD has been magnificent as seeing numerous projects work together and continuously striving to make a difference and serve the community. I am a person who is completely obsessed with music & playing basketball, so if you don’t see me studying medicine, you’ll find me listening to my favourite playlist or breaking a sweat. Apart from being a huge foodie, especially when it comes to Shawarma, I have a thing for poetry writing, I spend a major chunk of my time reading or writing poetry. To me, there are three things which add spice to our life, Laughter, Thought and most importantly, Living in the moment. I am always motivated to take up new challenges!! Forever keen to learn about whatever interests me, I strongly believe in growing and evolving each day and thus I am an extremely optimistic person who tries to see the best in every situation.

PROJECTOFFICERS ADITI BIYANI Swasth Aajeevika

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Aditi , Project Officer at Project Swasth Aajeevika under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. I feel very honored and privileged to be on this team with such enthusiastic people. Seeing all of my teammates striving hard and working relentlessly makes me work even harder than ever. I am passionate about my work and I firmly believe life is kind of short so why not make it worth living? To enjoy and explore each and every aspect and contribute back to the society. I am a very creative person, I love painting, sketching because I think "Every canvas is a journey all its own.” I express myself through my artwork. What words won’t express, my painting does. Why spend time watching Netflix all the time when you have so much to adore and explore! Though there are many more miles to go before I sleep I hope of accomplishing all of them one day!

LAKSH AGRAWAL Swasth Aajeevika

Hi! I'm Laksh Shubhangi Agrawal , Project Officer at Project Swasth Aajeevika under PH&RD, AMSA-INDIA. I am a Second-Year medical student from Jawaharlal Nehru medical college, Wardha. I’m a Project Officer under the project SWASTH AAJEEVIKA. This Project has enhanced my ability of interacting with different kinds of people and has polished my leadership skills. Most of the time I’ll be found curled up with a book or binge-watching shows and movies. I wish to travel the world someday. Our project targets SDG-3.9 which aims to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

VRINDA PAHUJA Letter from Project Head, Swasth Aajeevika Hello one and all! They say “A new job is like a blank book and you are the author.” I still remember when I learnt that PHRD was expanding and recruiting Project Heads. I realized it wasn’t going to be easy as we weren’t stepping into someone’s shoes and walking on a path that had been drawn for us, rather we would have to carve out our own way! While this was nerve wracking, it left me even more excited and I decided to grab the pen and start with the first page. I have been passionate about public health ever since I joined as a college head in AMSA India and all through my tenure as a VOCI. I strongly believe in the phrase “Be the change you want to see” and that even one life impacted is worth it and that has kept me motivated! I chose occupational health as my project theme as that’s something I’d noticed was neglected under public health and was affecting all sections of the society. With my cohead, we named this book “Swasth Aajeevika”. With our motto being "Health is Wealth", we target those who are inflicted by their own occupations, unaware. Soon, we faced our first hurdle, realizing that organizing offline events was not a possibility for at least a few months. But we saw an opportunity for a national online event and jumped, organizing the first national event for PHRD in June, “No Tobacco Tuesdays for Tots” and kick started the tenure! The following month, my brilliant Project officers joined us and it’s been an adventure ever since! In October, we started the first offline project for PHRD. And I look forward to passing many more milestones in the coming months! While we won’t be the ones finishing this book, I’m glad we started it. Stay tuned and keep reading!

PROJECTOFFICERS YASH YADAV

SAHIL SRINIVAS

Swasth Aajeevika

MESSAGE Hi! I'm Yash, Project Officer at Project Swasth Aajeevika under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. As a future doctor my motto is “Learning now what patients need”. I always wanted to be a doctor because that’s what I was always passionate about. It takes a lot of struggle to enter a medical college but the experiences and the memories make all the efforts worthwhile. We have clinical postings which further arouse interests. Also while in hospital we roam in Apron and the patients or their attendants address you as “doctor” and ask you about their problems . This evokes a feeling that ‘‘yes!! I am a doctor’. We cannot ignore the fact that There is a lot of stress of studies especially before the examinations and its more in the practical's as the procedures and other things can be learnt easily but what one fears is viva and the insult which will be there if you don’t answer well and sometimes even if you are answering well the teacher might confuse you on a point which would just shatter your confidence but whenever you meet someone and say I am doing MBBS the look of respect on that person’s face you see is priceless . But yes! As I said that efforts don’t go futile” A good doctor is in demand and will always remain” .

Hi! I'm Sahil , Project Officer at Project Swasth Aajeevika under PH&RD, AMSAINDIA. Stirring change and impacting lives has been a rhythmic goal chaser for me. That’s when I applied for this post amidst the bustling schedule of my final year of medicine. It’s inched me way beyond my comfort arena & bought out the innate managerial counterpart. I always look forward to connecting with people from different walks of life. And this has been pivotal in that process. I’m absolutely stoked to be working with Dr. Vrinda Pahuja & Yash, my Co-officer from whom I’ve learnt consistency & lots of Hindi baatein. To more creativity & well being, For #HealthIsWealth - #SA

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

FAAAST Workshop

And Bingo

Date- 4th, October 2020 Organizers- Team of Project सा य and Students_Against_COVID SDG- 5.1, 5.2, 16.1 FAAAST - First Aid for Acid Attack Survivors & Tales Workshop was an extraordinary, life-changing event organized by Project सा य in collaboration with Students_Against_COVID. The event received 250+ registrations, out of which 80 participants were selected.

The comprehensive workshop was led by Dr. Deepti Gupta, a distinguished plastic surgeon. The participants were equipped with basic first aid skills and learned how to provide immediate help to minimize injuries if they are ever caught in this unprecedented situation. The highlight of the event was the session with the ever so valiant sheroes from Chhanv Foundation, who touched our hearts and inspired us. We believe that each participant walked out of this workshop as a more considerate human, motivated to become a better doctor. The event was concluded with a fun bingo-quiz round to assess the knowledge on first aid for acid attacks and 5 winners won free tickets to the AMSA x SAC Virtual Concert: Love Unplugged, a fundraiser for Chhanv Foundation. All participants and volunteers of the event were rewarded with discount codes for tickets of the concert.

COLLOQUIUM MAGNA On October 10th and 11th of 2020, Project W.A.S.H. under the PHRD of AMSA-India organized Model United Nations (MUN) as COLLOQUIUM MAGNA in which more than 100 people registered for, with more than 80 people actively participating. The MUN was organized through 3 different committees: WHO, UNHCR and CCC with separate agendas in relation to current events. Held over 2 days, day one consisted of the committee of WHO and day two had the committee`s UNHCR and CCC. Each committee lasted approximately for the duration of 6hrs. Fishbowl was organized at the end of each session to involve all the delegates for some humor after an exhausting session of the MUN. The goal was to acquaint students with the role of the UN while providing them an opportunity to play a proactive role in WASH related global issues. WASH is at the center of the development agenda, with a distinct sector goal (SDG 6) that envisions universal, sustainable, and equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and the elimination of open defecation by 2030.

bring about a change As a charitable event all profits made during the course of the event were donated to #NoDropWasted Campaign which has been organized by one of our sponsors Water Aid India. Apart from them we also had 2 other sponsor’s WhiteSwan Public Speaking aided us in various organizational aspects and also in providing their orators critical for the smooth functioning of the MUN and Amboss.

Winners of the MUN according to their respective committees are as follows: WHO (World Health Organization) Best Delegate: Yuvraj Singh (Morocco) Outstanding Delegate: Sampada Kuwar (Mexico) Honorable Delegate: Amrutha Lakhotia (Nepal) Position paper special mention: Stefanni Genesaret (UAE) Special Mention`s: Charan Saravanan (UK), Sneha Jaripiti (Australia), Hariharan Seshadri (Columbia), Mohit Balani (Germany), Rakshita Jain (Israel) and Vaishnavi Kanisetti (Russia) UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Best Delegate: Inyat Singhal (Australia) Outstanding Delegate: Chehek Anand and Keagan Miranda (Uganda and Iran ) Best Position Paper: Keagan Miranda (Iran) Special Mention`s: Luv Gupta (South Korea) and Sabarni Das (Syria) CCC (Continuous Crisis Committee) Best Delegate: Udit Mongia (Peru) Outstanding Delegate: Meena Iyer (Iraq) Honorable Delegate: Solomon Raj (Qatar) Position paper special mention: Vaishnavi Balakrishnan (Singapore) Special Mention`s: Steffi Rachel Varghese (Iran) and Tanya Nazar (Turkey)

NoDropWasted Campaign by WaterAid: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of access to clean water in keeping diseases at bay. Water scarcity has always been a problem and now with the onset of summers, this problem is going to be greatly amplified making the already difficult issue of the pandemic even harder to tackle. We aim to provide clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services to all during and after the COVID19 pandemic.

NATIONAL EVENTS

WORLD POPULATION DAY SDG- 3.7 This day focuses on the urgency and importance of population issues encompassing topics like family planning, gender equality, environmental impacts etc. This year's topic placed special emphasis on female sexual and reproductive health during the pandemic.

1. Dia de Poblacion, an online doodle making competition. Topic was World Population Day, with subtopics ranging from Contraception to Reproduction and Maternal Health. With amazing entrees from our members, our judge from NADA foundation sure was in a fix to declare the winners. The top 3 winners were awarded certificates for their creative ingenuity, and the winner of the 1st place was given a cash prize of 500 Rupees.

2. League of Charades - A web charades competition played in teams of two, over two rounds in two days. Our top top 3 teams battled it out fiercely in the second round and we had our winning team of charades at the end of the event. From engaging in current topics and guessing it out to breaking the ice, the event was a fruitful one, and a much needed respite for our fellow medical students in these stressful covid times.

MENSES MONDAYS Project Astitva, in association with Bleed Red Go Green, Boondh Cups and Rotaract District 3141, conducted a month-long event, Menses Mondays with the aim of redefining what periods mean. From myth busting to destigmatizing and stimulating discussions- it was a very well received, productive event. 10/08/2020 - We kicked off the campaign with the first Monday dedicated to our very own wonder women- our female doctors with their chronicles of periods in PPEs. We thank Dr. Sahra Kasim, Dr. Aishwarya Chavarkar, Dr. Kshitija Bhutkar and Dr. Maithili Joshi for their involvement for the same.

17/07/2020 - For our second Monday, we sought to engage our fellow AMSA members and their buddies on Instagram through a myth busting emoji challenge to guess away what's fact and what’s fiction. The overwhelming participation made it a success and further piqued the interest of the audience for what's next to come in the month of August.

23,24/08/2020 - The 3rd and the most eventful Monday of the campaign was reserved for a 2-day hands on PlasticFree-Periods Sustainability Workshop. Our Menstruperts from the same were Mrs. Rajasi Kulkarni Diwakar, founder of Bleed Red Go Green and independent researcher working with tribal, rural and urban menstruators in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Pratyusha VV our second Menstrupert is a sustainable menstruation advocate and facilitator of MHM trainings, owing to her association with Boondh Cups- a Bangalore based enterprise.

In a candid yet informative session with our Menstruperts, we uncovered everything there is to know about menstrual cups from sizes to insertion and uses. Our participants with the guidance of of Rajasi Kulkarni Diwakar manifested the motto bleed Red Go Green in the form of super comfortable handmade cloth pads. At the end of our 2-day workshop, our 60 participants managed to cut stitch and put together an organic and ecofriendly menstrual product.

31/08/2020 - The month-long campaign finally drew to a close with a Period Hacks Infographic put up on Instagram. While engaging our members through questions, we also imparted knowledge on different ways to deal with period issues.

IT'S COOL TO BE KIND 'It's Cool To Be Kind' Fundraiser was an initiative by Project Badlaav 2019-'20, which was bloomed with the aim to support the villagers during the trying times of COVID. Rather than just an event to be conducted, it was rooted in the emotional bond created with the Rajiv Nagar village of Sawangi(M) in Wardha. We knew the pandemic had hit the villagers hard. All the talks, activities, and especially the school visit conducted during our project journey in 2019-’20 term made us want to do much more for them!

In collaboration with NGO- Meher Sewabhavi Sanstha of Wardha, Project Badlaav 2019-'20 collected Rs.40,157 by 24th June 2020 after 2 weeks of the donation drive, accounting for a huge success to our project. Volunteers of Project Badlaav 2019-’20 and the NGO distributed food kits and other necessary amenities to around 75 families of the village in 5 days, ensuring proper social distancing among the volunteers & villagers. The toll the pandemic has taken on the villagers is huge which is how we knew this was the right step towards ensuring the essentials for the village. We know there's no entirely selfless deed out there because at the end, their smiles and happy faces made all the difference to us and that satisfaction made all the effort worth it! 'Staying together as one while social distancing' has clearly been attained through this endeavor.

NOTOBACCOTUESDAYS #NoTobaccoTuesdaysForTots had been one of the most trending hashtags on AMSA-India in the month of June. This event, being the first National Event by the PHRD, focused on the hazards of passive smoking in children and kickstarted the 2020-21 tenure! Carried out by Project Hope Stone & Project Swasth Aajeevika, the event was a massive success both in terms of participation as well as collaborations with renounced NGOs like CRY India and NADA India Foundation. The event gained an engagement of 2000+ on social media platforms via various weekly awareness activities and challenges. We also hosted an interactive awareness session on passive smoking in children with the young future of the country, our children, with the help of CRY India. We were honoured to get the opportunity to represent PHRD, AMSA India at "Engaging young people to respond to new emerging tobacco threats", a NADA India initiative, addressing 150+ college students about passive smoking. We also hosted a podcast on smoking, its effects and how to quit with a former addict. We hope our small initiative made our audiences aware about Passive Smoking & its harmful effects.

ADDICTION BATTLING CAMPAIGN

On the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26th June), Project Hope Stone, under PH&RD of AMSA India in collaboration with Nada India Foundation conducted a workshop “ABC- Addiction Battling Campaign” with an aim to make our participants efficient to help the Drug/Alcohol addicts to overcome the issue. We aimed not only to make participants aware about the issue but also train them to help others and hence the geometric progression will continue. The Event was conducted online on Zoom Video Meeting Application and was live broadcasted on YouTube AMSA India page. Our speakers included two eminent doctors Dr. Avinash DeSouza and Dr. Priyanka Varma and an ex-addict and former counsellor at Tihar Jail, Mr.Vipan Sachdeva. Mr. Suneel, Chairperson, Nada India Foundation also joined the session.

An avatar of the mighty him, Today I’m reciting the tragedy hymn, All this sacrifice what for? Cause I choose to be a doctor. Treating everyone every day, News showing action replay, Doctors beaten to death, Patients stopped his breath.

MATTERS

In Today’s World, Justice is considered as a broad-spectrum word. We want justice in every aspect of our life. But DO WE GET IT? Justice for Women, Justice for Children, Justice for Men. These are the broad aspects of this, but What about Justice for Doctors?? (And Other health care professionals) With the same thought in mind was brought to you “WHITE COAT MATTERS” which contributed Rise, Revive, Roar, a collaborative in spreading awareness about the ongoing silent effort of Project सा य and Girl Up pandemic of our society. Day 1 - Feminism 101 Introduction to Feminism by the organisers Day 2 - Graphic Designing A graphic design workshop in collaboration with Girls x Tech to bridge the gender gap in technology

Muskurahat is a 7 day bootcamp for young girls to celebrate National Girl Child Day

Day 6 - Legal Literacy A seminar that helped in generating a sense of self-reliance and security among Day 3 - S.T.E.M. Part 01 young girls in An introduction to the world association with of Science and Technology Amity Legal Aid Cell Day 4 - S.T.E.M. Part 02 Day 7 - Entrepreneurship An introduction to the world of Engineering and Mathematic An introduction to Day 5 - Personality Development and Entrepreneurship by Dipika Singh, Communication Skills Founder of She Means Business, A comprehensive workshop in association with experiential learning trainer and Mentorica Institute of Soft Skills Training motivational speaker

POLEMIC This huge Online Debate Competition “Polemic” was carried out by Teams of Project Hope Stone and Project छलांG , under PH&RD of AMSA India in collaboration with AMSEP & Interna as well as with Prepladder as award Sponsors. The Round one “Titans Talking” had a nominal entry fee and all the fund raised was donated to NGO “Habitat for Humanity – Asia Pacific” to mend and repair the homes and helps the people who lost their homes due to some natural or other disaster. In Round one we released 4 topics, different for different states and all the participants had to speak their views on the given statement. Round 2 was the Final Showdown, where the top 2 winners of each state were grouped as a team and now, they represented their zones. The Event was conducted online on Zoom Video Meeting Application and was live broadcasted on YouTube AMSA India page. At the end of the event the best speaker, best interjector and winners were awarded and were given the Prepladder subscription.

PARENTING MILLENNIALS The panel discussion was organised on 30 September 2020 by Project MUSKURAHAT team of Project Head -Arpit mago along with Project officers – Srishti goel and Atul Krishna . The event started on a real life story shared by our esteemed speaker Mrs NEENA GEORGE who is a certified life coach .Based on the theme of the story she shared Dr Kavita senior child psychiatrist dwelled on how parents have approached their children in the best possible way but yet sometimes what’s required an open conversation with full liberty to share their opinions etc.She also stressed upon the fact how parents should try and understand the aspirations of children and not just afoot a one policy suits all approach. Given an open environment and discussion parents could help in improving mental health of young adults It was followed by A Question and Answer session in which many parents and few young adults enquired about their dilemmas and how they could try and bridge the gap with their generation..

STIGMATIC ENIGMUS HEPATICUM

Viral Hepatitis is a deadly disease dwelling in chronic neglect, inattention, and misinformation. What makes this disease most painful to bear is the severe social stigma associated with it...a major barrier to prevention, early detection, and proper treatment. This was the imperitus behind this 2-day National Workshop on Viral Hepatitis organised by Projects Pact to Protect and Swasth Aajeevika, in collaboration with United Way Mumbai (a member of the World Hepatitis Alliance), and RANN foundation, organisations dedicated to the eradication of viral Hepatitis in India, with the aim to reaffirm and revive our collective social responsibility to defeat this disease . With over 150 participants from across the country, the workshop consisted interactive webinars with eminent personalities including Dr Shailesh Wagle (UnitedWay-Mumbai), Mr Surender Kumar (RANN foundation) Dr Rinkesh Bansal (Fortis group of Hospitals). The workshop also delved into important routes of transmission of viral Hepatitis such as tattoos, with eminent tattoo artist Mr Lokesh Verma. The workshop empowered medical students to understand and apply the knowledge they acquired through interactive group activities including Role Plays, analysis of Clinical Case Scenarios, and finally an exhilarating quiz on liver disease. The workshop concluded with an Instagram challenge, with participants debunking the myriad myths surrounding viral hepatitis and bringing in their peers to join the struggle against viral hepatitis.

Project सा य, under PH&RD of AMSA India, conducted the event Together We Can- Empowered Women, Empower Women, on the occasion of Sister's Day, in the form of an informal, insightful talk with the women on the Executive Board of AMSA India. The event was conducted through a fun interactive game of Never Have I Ever. It is an effort by Project सा य to address the role of gender & sexuality in workplace discrimination, harassment, and its effect on mental health. With target SDG of 5.1 and 5.2, we aimed to empower the audience by creating awareness about the existing laws in our country to combat these evils. We aimed to sensitize medical students about the prevalence of gender & sexuality-based discrimination & harassment at medical colleges & hospitals.

Giving a Medico’s twist to the likes of the “Passing” challenges, #RaiseAGlass!: To calcium was conducted by making short videos of drinking a Glass of Milk and passing it around. Our event was registered on the official page of World Milk Day Campaigns! The challenge was kicked-off on 2nd June via the official Instagram Handle of the AMSA India Public Health and Research Department and went on till 10th June. Lots of students sent in their videos of passing and raising a Glass (of milk!). Through this challenge, we aimed to increase awareness about the importance of calcium, vitamin D and bone health.

Operation GuruCool

The team decided to connect with the target population, ie., children for the pressing topics of personal hygiene, first aid and gender equality. It was a 3 day event in collaboration with Organisations, Rotaract Delhi and Able Charities. On all 3 days, we interacted with lots of kids and held activities through online platforms of Zoom and Whatsapp for Rotaract, and on ground sessions with the kids of Able Charities. (We even played hopscotch while staying at home!) This was executed both by the core team and 3 college heads as their NWG event, thus covering 2 regions(Delhi and Haryana) at once.

Operation

छलांG!

A fundraiser with 2 strategies- a normal collection and a self defense workshop- was organised to raise funds and help children get sanitation kits as well as help CRY conduct health camps for those who missed out on essential healthcare during the pandemic. We were able to raise 15,480 rupees over 1 month. A series of 7 online hygiene workshops were conducted by various members of Project छलांG based on the extensive module prepared by the core team. Kids from various NGOs, which are partners of CRY, joined us online on 6th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 17th, 18th and 20th February to learn about personal and environmental hygiene.

SPREAD SMILE!

AMSA India and PHRD collaborated with the NGO, Spread Smile Foundation, and created a whopping 15 videos on a variety of topics like first aid, mosquito borne diseases, gender equality, child marriage, water, immunisation and many more. Volunteers were brought on board, and all these completed in 2 months. The NGO taught the kids affiliated with them on all these topics with the help of videos. This amazing effort by the team was featured in the newspaper, and it was amazing!

SWASTHYA KI छलांG!

On the occasion of National Nutrition Week and targeting the SDG of Good Health, Project छलांG conducted an interactive session on 12th September with 80 young girls, working as interns and helping their communities, under the renowned NGO Naz. Project छलांG resolved to conduct this event on affordable nutrition to help people know that good food is meant and accessible by all, and is not necessarily expensive. Since our target population was young girls, anemia and vitamin D deficiency were especially highlighted, owing to the dismal national statistics amongst women. In order to fulfil our other aim of bridging the gap between government schemes and an unaware public, we made sure to tell them about all programs working for nutrition ( Anemia Mukt Bharat, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, Scheme for Adolescent Girls) and menstrual hygiene ( the new initiative of "Suvidha," the biodegradable sanitary pads sold by the government for 1 rupee.) We were able to dismiss many myths and instead establish facts about nutrition, and inform about good choices for menstrual hygiene.

WORLD ORS DAY

The whole team got together to create an awareness video for World ORS Day, highlighting what ORS is, how it is made, the indications of using it, the alternatives of ORS, and lastly, how the incidence of diarrhea can be prevented. We chose this aspect as half of the under 5 deaths in the world in 2019 occurred in just five countries, one of them being India and diarrhea being a leading cause of mortality despite being easy to treat. Thus, we set on a mission to spread awareness about ways to combat it.

CYBERBULLYING WORKSHOP

In collaboration with Augralids Law Firm, Project Muskurahat under Public health and Research Department of AMSA-India, as part of AMSACON 2020, conducted a 2 day workshop on cyber safety, covering Cyberbullying, cyber hacking and cyber security. The workshop included an interactive session with different scenarios, with psychological and legal ways to deal with them. The workshop was well received with over 80 participants on both days, and everyone left with a better psychological understanding of cybersecurity and legal provisions of assistance in the unfortunate case of a cyber crime.

CONFESSIONS UNPLUGGED In collaboration with You’re Wonderful Project; With Ms. Shivangi Khattar as the moderator Project Muskurahat under Public health and Research Department of AMSA-India, in collaboration with You’re wonderful project; conducted a day session, on 27th September 2020, to improve mental health status of participants. The participants read out responses shared anonymously, venting out what was bothering them. There was a healthy discussion about emotions hidden away and it helped everyone who attended have a better outlook towards everything. The event was well received by all the participants.

Project WASH of PHRD took an oath to shine a light on the ongoing pandemic, remove fear among the vulnerable population, taught appropriate precautious measures, the RIGHT way to wash hands, meet and be able to address all thier doubts and also provide masks and handwash or sanitisers in two different cities which was also followed by a similar NWG event in Mysore. this provided neccesary traction on the subject, gave the people a ray of hope and those who were tested positive were given hope while those who were negative were taught how not to get the disease . Wth objective of creating awareness among the vulnerable present there owing to understanding that the residents comprise a High-Risk group, on the importance of hygiene especially hand hygiene stressing on its importance during the Covid pandemic further more they were also briefed on the Corona virus from a medical perspective.

HELPING HANDS

This event took place in Kokri slums, Wadala slums, Army salvation orphanage - Mumbai The session was conducted by means of a verbal and visual presentation and the information was explained in 3 different languages so as to not create any confusion. At the end of the session all the participants had a better understanding of the situation and could better assess all the information available to them

Bannergata slums, Cheshire homes for elderly, Samarthanam Trust for the needy children and Samarthanam Trust for disabled - Bangalore Supplies such as face masks and hand sanitizers were distributed in appropriate number. The session took place for approximately 2 hours and covered all the important issues regarding the Corona Virus so that residents could develop a proper understanding of the current situation and take appropriate measures to safeguard themselves and also not to be overwhelmed by mass media or any other sources of information.

NAVIGATING THROUGH THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC : WE ARE JUST CLAMBERING INTO A LIFE RAFT

Blue mile organized by Project WASH in association with WaterAid India as a marathon challenge, conducted in 3 phases consisted of a combination of daily challenges along with virtual runs. This event was conducted with the help of PHRD department of AMSA India playing a vital role in making sure the event reached a broad audience. This event was held as a means to promote awareness of sanitation and hygienic practices which have especially come to light during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was the first ever Virtual run conducted. This means that people from across the nation can participate and support the cause of access to clean water to everyone, everywhere. Being virtual, the run gives participants the freedom to determine their level of difficulty and choose their running buddies. Moreover, the participants can run at a time and a place suitable for them. This event not only promoted fitness, but also raised money for clean water for those who couldnt afford. The daily challenges were kept fun and exiciting like selfies and crosswords, and keeping in mind the restrictions due to the pandemic, indoor walking or daily step count was For he who also used.

TUITION FOR CHARITY

Tuition for Charity was a fundraiser in association with “Hear Assam” with a twist conducted in hopes of creating a difference in the lives of the flood victims of Assam. The idea was to tutor students preparing for NEET-UG by recruiting volunteers from various colleges. Plenty of volunteers showed up although not an equal amount of students did. It was quite a turbulent journey and yet at the end of the day we were extremely delighted to see such an overwhelming response from various colleges belonging to different fields from all over India.

has health has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.”

NATIONAL WORKING GROUP

PROJECT AHAAR ABHIYAN

Health and Nutrition In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, eating healthy food remains an important part of maintaining one's health. Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and boosting your mood! Now most of you all must have heard that "The first wealth is health". Since we, at Ahaar Abhiyan target SDG 2 of Zero hunger, thought that why don't we bring this saying to life. Health and Nutrition was a workshop which consisted of a Webinar and preparation of clinical case presentations on diseases and disorders that were taught in the webinar. It was conducted on 8th November 2020. It was carried out on Google Meet and ZOOM for smooth conduct. The target audience were medical students across medical colleges pan India. The speaker was Dr. Sujata Patil, an associate professor of Preventive and social medicine at Krishna institute of medical sciences, Karad. She is a mass educator as well. The workshop was conducted for a total of 2 hours. We had a good number of 87 people who registered for the event. "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." We received many positive feedbacks and Dr. Sujata Patil was also praised for providing on point answers to the queries the participants had.

What we aimed to preach through the workshop was that Nutrition plays a very crucial role in one's life. The professor taught various concepts of biochemistry in simple terms. One of the highlights of the event was the recipe of "Protein laddu" which the participants liked very much. The case presentations targeted diseases like Kwashiorkor, Marasmus and various nutrient deficiencies. The participants actively participated and finished making the presentations within half an hour.

PROJECT AHAAR ABHIYAN As it is rightly said, "Mother's milk is soul food for babies." Keeping this in mind, we at Ahaar Abhiyan took the onus upon us to educate the people about Breastfeeding and related aspects. La Lactancia Materna, which is Spanish for Breastfeeding, was an awareness webinar on Breast feeding and Nutrition. It was conducted on account of World breastfeeding week on 7th August, 2020. It was carried out on Google Meet platform. The target audiences were nursing mothers, pregnant women, newly wed, medical students and doctors. The speaker was Dr.Anitha Thamarai Selvi, MBBS,MD (O.B.G.). She is an associate professor at Government Dharmapuri college, Tamil Nadu. She delivered the lecture. The very essence of the webinar was to bust myths, speak about the nutritional requirements the mother needs while being pregnant, medications that should be taken and the ones that should be avoided. Other pointers that were discussed were advantages of Breastfeeding, how and when to wean of breastfeeding. The highlight of the event was the talk on " Formula milk" and " How covid-19 has affected breastfeeding". There was a short Q/A section at the end of the session which Dr. Anitha Selvi ma'am addressed to. The webinar lasted for a healthy time of 1 hour. We had a participation of 97 people, ranging from medical students to well known doctors. We got very nice feedback from the participants' post webinar. The speaker, Dr. Mrs. Anitha Selvi was lauded by the participants as well. All in all it was carried out wonderfully and we hope to positively impact the lives of people in the future as well. ‘

PROJECT ASTITVA

UNLATCHING BREASTFEEDING BASICS

COLLEGE AFTER COVID

World Breastfeeding Awareness week lasted from 1st - 7th of August this year and Team Astitva curated an NWG activity Support Breastfeeding - that was conducted as a webinar in various different colleges all over India throughout the month of August, in the honor of this cause. The idea was to inform, educate and bust myths about breastfeeding in order to assist medical students to be able to promote healthy breastfeeding and demystify it. The highlight of this event was the “orange activity” where in every participant, with the help of an orange, understood how fruitful and essential the correct technique of breastfeeding is for an infant, again placing emphasis on why it is important to provide support to breastfeeding mothers for optimal health, nutritional and emotional benefits for her and her baby.

A live offline workshop conducted by the College Head of JLNMC. The workshop focused on the protocols and safety precautions to accustom the medical students in the wake of colleges reopening in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic. The workshop focused on demonstration of the use of Sanitizer, Masks, PPE kits and Healthy Eating Habits. The demonstration had three parts of Introduction, Demonstration and Questioning session. A total of 60 people attended the event as participants. As the colleges have reopened after the first wave declined, this event proved to be so essential to the students on how to conduct themselves inside the college and the hostel campus to protect themselves from getting infected. .

PROJECT BADLAAV

STDS AND MILLENIAL MEN

Project Astitva, under PHRD of AMSA-India, along with the National Working Group, conducted a survey among young males under 25 years of age regarding attitude and Perceptions about Contraception and STDs-with focus on HPV. Keeping in mind the fact that today's youth in India is open to engaging in a dialogue regarding Sexual Health, the survey was conducted to gauge the level of understanding about the same among young men. The statistics and figures give us a broader picture of the gaps in knowledge and the scope of understanding with respect to sexually transmitted diseases. It would enable us to design a comprehensive onground campaign about HPV awareness and spreading the word about protection from STDs. Most people in India know about condoms (but hardly anyone is using them) The latest data from the National Family Health Survey saw usage decline in many states even though awareness about condoms was on the rise. Despite its burgeoning population, India has a strange relationship with birth control, especially condoms. Apart from being among the cheapest methods of birth control, condoms are the only contraception that protect against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A lot needs to be done to change the scenario in urban as well as rural settings. Surveys are the first step towards assessing the problem and working towards planning and implementing a sustainable solution to such public health health problems.

PROJECT ASTITVA

PROJECT BADLAAV

MASK-A-THON

“The Littlest feet make the biggest footprints in our hearts.” MASK-A-THON was a State LevelMask Designing Challenge conducted by three states UP, Kerala and Punjab. The event was conducted to highlight the importance of Group B Streptococcus infection and to prevent neonatal infections on the “Group B Strep week”. The event also encouraged people to make and wear their own masks, a practice this pandemic calls for! The responses were overwhelming and it was extremely gratifying to see the extent of creativity and the level of awareness among the participants. With the tagline “Save our Baby Blues and Baby Pinks", the campaign inspired young minds to make a ‘Badlaav' for a cause!

MAKING WAVES “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. “Making Waves” was an attempt to show case the very essence of Project Badlaav. It was a DIY Service Project conducted by three CHs as a part of NWG group. The event mainly focused on day to day activities that revolve around basic practices which affect Sanitation and Hygiene. The participants were given tasks to promote sanitation and hygiene in and around their homes in the form of a 3-day checklist, Day 1 being ‘Cleaning stagnant water’, Day 2 being ‘Methods of Hand washing’ and Day 3 being ‘Effective ways of vessel washing’. The event was conducted to prove that even little things matter!

CONNECTIONS Ever tried untying threads? How about invisible threads? Invisible threads sure are the strongest ties! ‘Connections’ was an event conducted by our NWG team to spread awareness on the indicators and the factors that affect health and hygiene. We gave our participants a lot of tough threads to untie! Every connection they got right was a step closer to a vast ocean of new information. It was a fun and interactive session with a refreshing number of new faces.

PROJECT BADLAAV

CONTRE LES MYTHES

“Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths”. ‘CONTRE LES MYTHES’ was a Mythbuster Challenge organised to spread awareness on the several misconceptions the public have about sanitation and hygiene. The participants were given a questionnaire to identify the myths and facts related to sanitation and hygiene in our society. The event proved to be a great knowledge factory to the participants. You kill bacteria on food when you freeze it. Hmm…is that a myth or fact?

FOOD DISTRIBUTION DRIVE

CAPTURE A SMILE

The event was conducted on account of National Happiness Day and the festival of Colours, Holi and was announced in the AMSA WhatsApp group on March 30,2021 and then was circulated immensely in the college batch groups as well. We had a good response marked by the amount of food donated and the genuine cash donations. Until the evening of April 02, the donation boxes were kept public to gather food items. The volunteers and organisers bought some fresh fruits and other items to add on. We had roughly 3 large cartons filled to the brim with food items like biscuits, breads, snacks, etc. By 6 pm we set our foot for Leela Bhawan where we distributed all the stuff to underprivileged children and Captured their Smiles. We had a massive response in donation. The volunteers could realise the ground reality of poverty and how important food is to those hunger stricken. Moreover, The children were taught about healthy food habits and hand hygiene.

PROJECT AHAAR ABHIYAN

Personal Beliefs are better understood when you talk about them. With this thought in Mind, Project Hope Stone conducted Group discussions through the event, " Battle of Minds " In the difficult times of COVID-19 - we made sure individuals were given a free and safe space to speak up - put their opinions and give voices to the clouds of Anxiety in their Minds! Participants did not just look at their beliefs in the Eye, but also challenged them!

Battle of Minds was a campaign across Indian Medical Colleges in the Months of September and October 2020. The College Heads of various colleges along with a volunteer had put some controversial statements - statements challenging ethical, mental as well as legal aspects of withdrawal and recovery from addictions. Participants were able to break the jinx on certain burning and wrongly tabooed notions of the society. Contestants stood for what they believed was right. They emerged as better orators than when they arrived and are enthusiastic to more initiatives under AMSA INDIA. Indeed, the ideas flow like the unstoppable waves of an infinite ocean when you know you are not being judged.

PROJECT HOPE STONE

DEADDICTION Tell your story to the world and Tell it out Aloud, no matter how small it is! Your never know how your story can inspire others stuck at your place. Recovery from Addictions is better done than said. So, we the team HOPE STONE did a Webinar in SLBS Govt Medical College, Himachal Pradesh with the help of the college Head Pritesh Bharadwaj and a volunteer. The Final year medical student who was on the path of Recovery was one of the speakers to answer some real-life questions adolescents’ addicts face or may face. The other eminent speaker was one of the most experienced PSM professor from their institute who gave a very beautiful insight On Addictions and Recovery and the challenges that come with it. Afterall, who can understand the suffering other than the person who is going though it? The webinar was a 2-hour long event in which the participants interacted and asked a lot of questions to the speakers. They instantly felt the connection and that someone got them at once. " All addicts are Normal until they have their FIRST Sip, their First Pack and their First Puff. " All the 57 participants pleaded at the end of the event that they will Help at least one person around them to identify the disease and help them though the path of Recovery. This is how we believe in creating more Advocates through peer education to help broaden the thinking of Individuals so that they can decide for themselves. The event came to an end with the Project Head of HOPE STONE sharing his motivation story of taking up the great initiative.

DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE 2020! The year I will achieve all my dreams. No! The year I will appreciate what I have Got .Due the Global Pandemic, Medical students all over the nation are missing on Missing on the Clinics -looking at patients, trying to Diagnose and Learn. The Project HOPE STONE took up the task of creating a simulation of the actual patients and giving participants an opportunity to practice the art of Diagnosing from the comfort of their homes in the form of the event, THE DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE! The event took place in various Medical Colleges of India in the Month of August. The team of Hope stone along with the college Heads designed the simulation consisting of a basic history of the patient, the progress and the facility to do the examination and lab tests just as in the actual set up. The challenge was to come up with the correct diagnosis in the minimum amount of time. The Participants came with their best diagnostic teams to Save our Virtual event. The cases of the simulation were based on our target Addictions, that is over Dose and Non Communicable Diseases. The growing intensity of discussion among the team mates as the clock ticked was a sight worth watching. They identified the symptoms of various substance overdoses and their management fulfilling one of our major Goals. The winner team was awarded certificates by AMSA India. The healthy competition inspired the participants to learn more and to have a sense of Clinicals even during the time of a lock down. Indeed, creating a challenge based on the Art of History Taking and Diagnosing, Application of Knowledge has challenged the not only the participants but also the organisers.

PROJECT HOPE STONE

Webinar by Dr. Alok Bajpai

Conducted by CH, Shreya Chandra, Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow, CH, Nishtha Mishra- TS Misra Medical College and Hospital, Lucknow under PH, Ananya Vadhera, Maulana Azad Medical College An Uttar Pradesh state level webinar and quiz on Google meet and Google forms respectively, was conducted under Project Muskurahat on 24th July 2020 . The guest speaker covered various aspects of the life of a MBBS student, whether it is the life skills required in the journey, psyche of doctors, how to deal with emotions and much more. The session was interactive and everyone asked questions pertaining to the topic and made the talk more productive and fruitful. The participants also participated in a quiz on the topic ‘brain and mind’, which was conducted through Google Forms after the webinar. The top 3 scorers were provided with a certificate each. 200 participants joined the whatsapp group. 103 participants attend the webinar. The webinar helped them as they got to know about the situations they might face in future, how to deal with them. They also got to know about the basic life skills which a successful doctor should possess. All the queries/questions in the mind of the students were also cleared by Dr. Alok, the guest speaker.

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HEALTH

Webinar by Veena Nobbay

Conducted by CH, Esha Nobbay, Father Muller Medical College under PH, Ananya Vadhera, Maulana Azad Medical College. A Karnataka state level webinar on zoom was conducted under Project Muskurahat on 25th August 2020, 5 pm. The speaker began her presentation at 5:10 pm which consisted of an introduction to the meaning of the term mental health, the difference between mental health and mental illness, warning signs of poor mental health and common ways to take care of our own mental health. She also made it fun and interactive by adding case scenarios and asking questions which were answered by the participants in the chat box. She then answered questions posed by the participants pertaining to the Mental Health field. 116 participants join the webinar participants group, 50 people attended the zoom meeting. This project was carried out to remove misconceptions related to mental health, and to know that its okay to seek help, and hone our skills at noticing warning signs of poor mental health.

PROJECT MUSKURAHAAT

PROJECT BADLAAV

Truths are better be shown than be said. Flicking Cassettes are the mirror show of the bitter truths in the society on the knowledge of Sanitation and Hygiene. It was an online event asking the participants to make Instagram reels on their views regarding Expectation vs Reality in the aspects of Sanitation and Hygiene in our society. The event was conducted by three college heads of AIIMS Bhopal, HIMS and LTMMC. With COVID-19 pandemic on rise, it was essential to point out the reality to the people on how they understand Sanitation and Hygiene. It also helped people understand the wrong ways they’ve been following and made them aware of how things to be done in the right way.

“Conducted by CH, Yuvraj Kaushal, Government Medical College, Patiala, and CH/PH, Ananya Vadhera, Maulana Azad Medical College Judged by Ms. Parnika Sharma (Psychologist) A two stage event. The first stage involved sending a case/research presentation on mental health of cancer patients with a voiceover. After screening, the top 5 presented their presentation in front of the judge. The event was announced on September 04,2020 in the State whatsapp groups. Every alternate day, the message was circulated in the college whatsapp groups and a separate group was made for the participants to clear out their doubts, if any. September 12,2020 was the last day to submit their entries. On September 14,2020 the top-5 were announced within the group who participated in the Round-2 the following day which was concluded by announcing the Top-3. 25 people joined the whatsapp group, 11 people sent their entries, top 5 were selected for the final round, out of which there were 3 winners. The winners received a subscription from Elsevier.

PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

EUNOIA

Purvi Jain college head from Kolkata organized Eunoia an event regarding the uncertain times of the pandemic and how it affected the medical students. Dr Tirthankar Guha the speaker of the event talked about different strategies to improve their academics and ways to cope up with stress and depression. He also answered the questions submitted by the participants before. The event was followed by a quiz based on the webinar. Out of the 45 participants 3 of them were selected based on their answers.

Nandita , a college head from Maharashtra conducted an event named Meraki through which we tried to encourage people to indulge in art and craft ( in particular calligraphy and mandala making) and intended to spread awareness regarding the positive effects such activities have on mental health. The event had more than 100 participants!

MIND GAMES

Each event had one member from the core project team assisting and monitoring them. Mariam, a College head from Bangalore had organised a two-day event where the first day we had almost 70 people participating for the webinar that talked about diagnosing a mental health patient followed by a treasure hunt related to mental health. Both the events were held on Zoom. Out of 30 teams, 3 teams won based on their timing. Post-event, she shared screenshots and had thanked PHRD for letting her conduct such a wonderful event.

Bhavik Shah college head from Chennai organized a webinar on suicide awareness and prevention. The panel consisted of 4 eminent speakers. They talked about the different factors leading to suicide. They also educated the participants to look for signs and try to prevent someone from taking their lives. About 100 participants were part of the event. After the event they also filled a feedback form for the event.

UJJWAL

Our main goal was to spread more awareness of mental health amongst school teachers. Post the approval, we started searching for foundations, we had a couple of them on our mind, such as the 'the live love laugh foundation' and 'MINDS foundation' and we got an amazing and immediate response from MINDS. Then we reached out to numerous schools in order to get the teachers to sign up for this. After an overwhelming response from a few schools, a google form was made to get the details of the teachers so it would be easier to add them on a WhatsApp group and later to reach out to them for issuing a certificate of participation. -On 8th August 2020,approximately 45 teachers attended this event. -Ms Pragya took over and presented her seminar, after which Mr Joshi took over. -It was an interactive session, as teachers did ask a lot of questions towards the end via the Zoom messages and WhatsApp group messages. -The speakers then clarified their doubts and assured the teachers to share their presentation with them. And would further take questions later with the help of AMSA. Aim of the Event The main aim for the event was to educate school teachers regarding the mental health of students and how they can play an important role in helping them. It was to make the teachers aware about the signs and symptoms of common mental issues and how they can approach such situations. Impact Analysis of the event Initially about 65 teachers had registered for the event in which about 50 of them joined us for the event. Positive response received about the event and many of them considered it informative and helpful. Also the speakers were pleased with the responses. PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

It was an interactive session about body image and how each one of us perceives it. This was under Project Muskurahat of the PHRD department of AMSA and was Co-organised by Tarushi Bhattacharya. The message was shared on the college groups and forums for PR after approval by the State Head- Maharashtra. There were about 25 people involved in the event. The event was a medium for the participants to connect, interact and become aware of positive and negative body images. It served as an outlet for the participants to share their opinions. The event had ample participation and interaction from the students with a total of 25 entries. The Participants gave extremely positive feedback in relation to the information disseminated.

PERILS OF PANDEMIC This was a college level webinar organised to discuss the impact of this lockdown, increased screen time due to online classes and its effect on mental health of college students. A discussion was held about the average screen time of students on screen, what they think can be possible solutions for them, research papers in context of the topic were discussed. An hour long interactive session was held with 22 participants.

This workshop was based on cyberbullying, cyber stalking and identity theft, over a period of two days we aimed to inform as many people as possible about the kind of damage that any kind of cyberbullying can cause, and also the legal aspects associated with the same. The event was a smashing success with several students participating from different states all across the country. The highlight of the event was certainly the breakout room session where our participants came up with potential solutions to various cases which were then discussed with our esteemed speakers who further shed light on the issues. The concept of secretaries and representatives was also incorporated in the break out rooms which made the event even more interesting. Our exciting and brilliant panel of speakers prudently interacted with all the participants in the Q&A session and answered all sorts of queries with the utmost patience and warmth. The event was conducted online on Zoom video meeting application and was live broadcasted on YouTube AMSA India page.

PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

A webinar on “THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES” was held to find out what can be done to improve the lives of diabetic patients during these difficult time on 22nd of October by Dr SHAMEER V K Assistant Professor Department of Medicine GMC Kozhikode. There were more than 80 participants across Kerala who were able to help understand the difficulties face by diabetic patients in this pandemic. It meant to spread awareness about the seriousness of diabetes as a co morbidity in COVID 19 and the difficulties faced by patients during the pandemic. Our event aimed to teach the general public about the management of diabetic patients during the pandemic and to focus on the risks of NCDS today and also in the near future.

A Virtual OPEN MIC competition was organised in HIMS DEHRADUN under Project MUSKURAHAT of PH &RD department of AMSA INDIA .It was organised by Jatinder Gulati from 22nd August to 31st August 2020 on the Theme -Mental Health.Pre recorded Audio and Video were submitted by a number of participants highlighting the Impact of Mental health via Creative expressions. It was a great session wherein everyone participated enthusiastically and appreciated the effort to further the cause.

PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

Relax, Reboot ,Recharge: demystifying stress during college years - a live discussion The event was conducted by our Enthisiastic College head Mehar Bhatia alongside Arpit mago ,Project head on Zoom on 07/09/2020 . The participants enthusiastically interacted during the session and put up queries on the chat box alongside, which were answered by the presenter Dr Ravinder Bhatia during the session. She shared her take in life on various aspects: from time management, academic goals to relationships. An idea for a Healer's club (a WhatsApp group) was also given at the end of the webinar. The webinar went on quite smoothly and participants were well connected throughout.About 50 enthusiastic participants joined in and discussing the issues troubling them one on one with the presenter . Participants gathered a good insight on various aspects of life from academics to relationships. The webinar was aimed at relieving stress faced by students during their college years. It served as a relaxing reboot session in this untimely and stressful pandemic situation. The speaker presented a mature take on life and it was attended by students from the first to third year medical students.

PROJECT ROOTS

Project Roots, in association with “HOME CROP” and FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE conducted a month long event, “Van •Mah“to commemorate Van Mahotsav and World Environment Conservation Day. Van•Mah was initiated on 25 July 2020 with the aim to grow greens from the kitchen starting from a scratch; it assured a safe approach of growing the greens during the lockdown period. The event was aligned with SDG 3, 4, 13. Our collaborating partners “HOME CROP“and FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE had been an immense supporting platform for the event. One of the lucky participants won a DIY gardening kit by HOME CROP and special efforts were made by our project officers Yukta Ephraim and Jay Verma where they explained a step by step approach to growing greens from a scratch to all the participants before the event. A total of 150 responses were received, which was a proud moment for the entire team.

PROJECT ROOTS conducted an online awareness cum hackathon session to celebrate World Ozone Day in the month of September. It was aimed at working on one of the most dangerous global crises and encouraging our youth to lend a helping hand with their ideas. It was aligned with SDG It was initiated through the help of our college heads that conducted an online session to spread awareness on conservation of ozone layer. This was followed by an inter-college policy making session called as the Hackathon, where each college team had to present a scientific paper describing policies to conserve the ozone layer. All the submitted policies were judged by our senior panel team and an inter-college competition was conducted.

PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

Project Muskurahat under the aegis of AMSA, India conducted a galvanising debate - Tact Impact, on the agenda “Management of Mental health is best dealt at institutional level than in community settings .” The debate was a brainchild of and carried out under the guidance of Project Head Arpit Mago and Project officer Srishti Goel by two promising college heads Hemlata Seervi and Vidisha Kishore as an interstate level competition on 12 March 2021 online on zoom platform.A total of 14 students participated in the event under two teams, one for the motion while the other against the motion. The event was judged by a psychiatrist, Dr. Yamini Devendran. The debate was aimed at having a strong minded discussion on provision of mental health care at various levels of health administration and strongly brought into light the various merits and demerits of dealing with mental health crises at a community level.The event shone brightly and the hard work of the organising college heads was brought to light and the research on the topic was eyeopening and gave a brutal picture of the lack of proper mental health management strategies at the community level. The highlight of the event was an applaudable talk given by the judge towards the climax about tackling mental health issues during this testing time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health being a subject of taboo all these years has finally started coming to light today. The social stigma towards this subject is to be eradicated and help to the needy has to be provided and can be achieved by making even small efforts. The event was organised by our college head Jai from SBMPC ,Vijayapura under the guidance of Project Head ,Arpit mago and Project officer , Srishti goel from 1st March to 20th March in which 11 student volunteers from diverse geographical backgrounds were gathered and asked to make a line graph on how their mental health had progressed over the years from 2012 till 2021 and were compared.The aim of this project was to increase awareness about the little-known, recently-come-to-light topic of mental health struggles

PROJECT MUSKURAHAT

This was a college level webinar organised to discuss the impact of this lockdown, increased screen time due to online classes and its effect on mental health of college students. A discussion was held about the average screen time of students on screen, what they think can be possible solutions for them, research papers in context of the topic were discussed.

The Event focused on spreading awareness about eye and postural health problems faced by people due to their occupation as a result of long hours of sitting in front of their computers/screens. The event was done on google meet with a diverse population ranging from engineering students to school students currently taking online classes. We concentrated on the causes and prevention aspects and eye exercises were demonstrated by the presenter which were then practiced by the audience. The event was conducted by Lagan Sethi, Kanika Handu, Kanishka Kabra and Mansi Neekhra.

PROJECT SWASTH AAJEEVIKA

When student leaders from all top notch medical students organisation join hands - you know something good is brewing! PH&RD team joined hands with IMA-MSN MH along with ISAY, AIMSA, SNO & Agents of Ishq on this venture. Let's Talk About Sex (LTAS) was a four day comprehensive Certified webinar course by handpicked professionals . This is aimed towards understanding the intricacies of sexual health, sexuality & gender identity to pregnancy & breastfeeding and it's aspects. The planning began about a month ago when the representatives - Saundarya Monga, DoPH ,PH&RD of AMSA India. -Rupali Sachdev , Garima , Shreya , Ashwin , Riddhesh Kulkarni, Priyanka Sahajwani and Sohail Sayyad from IMA MSN. -Udit Gupta and Khushi Agroya, Student Network Organisation (SNO) -Akatya Vidushi and Varun Tiwari from All India Association Medical Student Network , Maharashtra (AIMSA) Zainab Engineer and Shweta Jeyakumar , India

Safe Abortion Youth (ISAY) Advocates from all these organisations met up (Online ) and in less than a month announced the workshop from 26th to 29th July ,2020. You know your audience resonated with the topic and the need to talk about it when the registerations for 200 seats fill-up up within an hour of opening the call and we started getting requests for more seats. Finally we increased our capacity by 100 more seats and made it a live broadcast for maximum viewership.

NATIONAL EVENT BY DoPH

Hosted on Webminar jam Platform , our activities weren't limited to it. We subdivided participants into 10 groups and organized post webminar activities on all days . The activities ranged from quiz , to lively group discussions and case scenarios.These group discussions were lead by Bhavya Pahwa ,Muskan Chaudhary, Yashasvi Anand Swarna K ,Vedant Shukla, Safal Boob ,Anies Siya K S , Vrinda Pahuja , Sajal Gulati & Meghna Choudhury from the PH&RD team and many others from other organizations.

An event spread over two days., Day one comprised of Discussion on the responses received through the questionnaire with some additional information about it. with a FUN ice breaker game , conducted to make the webinar session more enthusiastic. Day two comprised of a WEBINAR SESSION which highlighted on Basic Hygiene towards fungal infections, do's and don'ts in managing a fungal skin infection, (at the very basic level), Clearing common misconceptions around fungal infections, Some clinically oriented points for medical students, dealing with fungal infections (for example,the most common cases and how these cases are managed). along with a Q/A SESSION from Audience to dermatologist/Professor).

The event was conducted in 2 rounds. 20 questions were prepared from the topic for round 1 and this round was held using the Quizizz app. Top 5 participants from Round 1 were qualified for Round 2. Round 2 consisted of 15 questions and was held on Google Meet as a rapid fire round. the event was carried out to create awareness and to test existing knowledge of medical students on the topic of HIV/AIDS. The winners are as follows: 1. Katyayani Jha 2. Amardip Sindhu Ganesh Khude 3. Manasi Shewale

PROJECT PACT TO PROTECT

World Hepatitis Day- NOHep letter

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 8

On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day- 28th July, Project Pact to Protect organised a campaign, in collaboration with United Way Mumbai (member of the World Hepatitis Alliance), to encourage medical students across the country to sign the NOHep Open Letter, urging governments to take urgent action to ensure the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. With over 180 signatures, students across India contributed to the global movement to eradicate viral hepatitis.

Stigmatic Enigmus Hepaticum- Know It, Confront It S.E.H. was a 2-day National Workshop on Viral Hepatitis organised by Projects Pact to Protect and Swaastha Aajeevika of the Public Health and Research Department of AMSA India, in collaboration with United Way Mumbai a member of the World Hepatitis Alliance, and RANN foundation, organisations specializing in public health and dedicated to the eradication of viral Hepatitis in India. With over 150 participants from across the country, the workshop consisted of enthralling, informative and interactive webinars with eminent personalities from the diverse yet complementary spheres of clinical medicine, public health, and social upliftment including Dr Shailesh Wagle (United Way Mumbai), Surender Kumar (RANN foundation) Dr Rinkesh Bansal (Fortis group of Hospitals). The workshop also delved into important yet rarely known routes of transmission of viral Hepatitis such as tattoos, with eminent tattoo artist Lokesh Verma. The workshop empowered medical students to not only understand but truly imbibe and apply the knowledge they acquired through interactive group activities including Role Plays simulating an actual clinical setting, analysis of Clinical Case Scenarios, and finally an exhilarating quiz on liver disease. The workshop concluded with an Instagram challenge, with participants debunking the myriad myths surrounding viral hepatitis and bringing in their peers to join the struggle against viral hepatitis.

PROJECT PACT TO PROTECT

DefeatHep- Together we can workshop seriesContinuing our mission to educate medical students about Viral Hepatitis Pact To Protect against Hepatitis team of the Public Health and Research Department conducted a 3 days workshop on Hepatitis.This time we were bigger, better and are worked with the absolute experts to bring a quality experience for our future leaders.Our workshop consisted of series of webinars lead by distinguished speakers allied with World hepatitis alliance and Chennai Liver Foundation. From taking a close look at liver transplant surgery to diving into the epidemiological aspects of hepatitis we had it all. Our speaker for the event Dr. Vivekanandan Shanmugam is HPB & Transplant surgeon- RPS Hospitals and Managing trustee – Chennai Liver Foundation, Board member of World Hepatitis Alliance.He has conducted LIVER SERIES – A hands on workshop on vascular suturing and Liver Surgery. Over 200 surgeons trained in 3 years. Apart from being a faculty in many national and international workshops and conferences. Our guest speaker Dr. Ganeshkumar Parasuraman is the COMMUNITY PHYSICIAN, FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND HEALTH SYSTEM RESEARCHER. Trained community physician with 10 years of professional experience in academic and public health research. Health system research, disease surveillance, epidemiology and public health informatics are the major areas of research and training. On 20th Dec we focused on Mother to Child transmission of Viral hepatitis by Dr.Vivekanandan. On 23rd Dec we covered Liver Transplantation for Viral Hepatitis with Dr.Vivekanandan. The final culmination of an incredible 2 days began on 26th of Dec with a deeply insightful talk by Dr GaneshKumar Parasuraman, Senior Scientist at the ICMR, on the heath system preparedness for the elimination of viral hepatitis, intertwined with a masterful exploration of the systemic problems that exist, and possible interventions through technology and intersectoral collaboration, that intrigued the participants to an extent that the originally 30 minute question answer session might have extended to the next day. However, what followed was an hour of striking knowledge, logic, and critical thinking, as finalists had to think on their feet as they responded to tough questions, bringing together the spheres of medicine, public health, policy, law, and ethics…as they debated one of the most contentious questions in public health policy- the adoption of a paradigm shift- the opt out organ donation policy. The participants certainly lived up to the ultimate challenge of the workshop- to debate, confront, and defeat viral Hepatitis. Their peers to join the struggle against viral hepatitis.

PACT TO PROTECT

Iecur Enigmus- A Workshop Series

In Ancient Greece, a cradle for the advent of medicine...the Liver, or “Iecur” was considered the “seat of the soul”...vital to the very being of a person. To understand more about viral hepatitis, and its effect on this vital organ, Project Pact to Protect Organised “Iecur Enigmus”- a Series of 3 Workshops focussing on the Clinical aspects of viral Hepatitis, conducted with the National Working Group with participants from across the states of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The workshops consisted of interactive webinars focussing on the current clinical aspects and practices including pathogenesis and pathophysiology, disease spectrum, vaccination, treatment, and management of viral Hepatitis- A,B,C,D,and E, delivered by eminent gastroenterologists with extensive clinical and research experience in the field, followed by interactive group activities including virtual clinical simulations, discussion of clinical vignettes, and quiz competitions putting the participants’ knowledge and critical thinking to the test.

Hepaticon-

To carry forward Project Pact to Protect’s goal of the elimination of viral hepatitis, the state level workshop-Hepaticon was conceived and held across the states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, conducted by the College Heads, Suravi Thapa from Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, Jhansi and Asher Esli Lal, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana. The workshop tackled some of the extremely significant, yet lesser known and chronically neglected aspects of viral hepatitis- vertical transmission of viral hepatitis, by Dr Hardeep Jogi, and health system preparedness for viral hepatitis elimination by Dr Lydia Solomon, fields with great potential for innovation and pathbreaking intervention. After each compelling and engaging webinar exploring the topics in depth, the participants’ critical thinking and analytical powers were put to the test in a quiz, intertwined with a great deal of fun. In all, the workshop culminated by taking us a small step closer towards the vision of a hepatitis free society.

We are glad to initiate a drive that will keep people safe from bite. Project PACT TO PROTECT organised the Mozzie Wipeout Challenge in four colleges from different corners of India over 27 days. The main aim of the challenge was to lookout for potential Mosquito breeding sites and then to put in Maximum effort to prevent the sites from flourishing. The participants shared BEFORE and AFTER pictures of the sites and around 150 Wipeouts were carried out. Mozzie Wipeout Challenge made participants realise how important it is to take care of our surroundings, how water collects even at the sites we don't think of. It was way more than a challenge. We hope participants will carry forward the idea of this activity.

MOZZIE CHALLENGE

PACT TO PROTECT

THINKATHON :BUILD IDEAS TO COMBAT MDR-TB

A online discussion-based contest which aimed to distillate best ideas among the medical students across the State Tamil Nadu and UT Pondicherry on the subject of how to tackle, prevent or eliminate the MDR- variant of M. tuberculosis. The Judge for this Event were a CRRI from GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE OMANDURAR GOVERNMENT ESTATE, Dr. PUGAZHENDI INBAN, who is also an AMSA Member. The layout of THINKATHON was based on “proposal of an idea” followed by its elaboration and counter questions which were asked by the Judge and the content and presentation was Judged by 4 parameters of CREATIVITY, THEORY/PRINCIPLE, APPLICATION and AFFORDABILITY. After both the presentations were finished, DR. PUGAZHENDI INBAN gave out his esteemed judgement and announced Team AURAMINE as Winner of THINKATHON. The Judgement was followed by A VOTE OF THANKS and CONCLUSION OF EVENT by Master AMIT PRAJAPATI, after which the Winners were confirmed in the WhatsApp Group, and the event was officially concluded.

RE -IMAGINING TB CARE.

All the participants got a chance to learn about Tb both from the medical and general perspective. Moreover, many got a chance to improve their knowledge about how to treat a tuberculosis patient.as part of the pact to protect project, we the college heads were told to conduct an event on Tb and HIV. I decided to conduct an online webinar on Tb as the professional exams of multiple batches were approaching , and this would be like a revision session for them. Keeping this in mind,I approached Dr. Chris Baby, an ex-faculty of CMC Ludhiana.

BEST OUT OF WASTE This event was conducted under project WASH of PHRD, AMSA India at Narayan Medical College. The participants were asked to create out of waste products any artwork that related to the goals of SDG6 , the participants then uploaded the photographs and the top 3 were selected and given a prize. This event motivated the participants and onlookers to explore different avenues of ensuring the goal of ' Universal access of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene '.

PROJECT W.A.S.H

Mad-Ads event was held under Project W.A.S.H. under the PHRD of AMSA-India by the college head of Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana Saurav Anand Parichha, with the objective of sensitising the students to the goals od SDG-6 and the problems faced in its implementation through the means of an innovative competition to foster the involvement of many students in groups and ensure their participation. All the people involved including the participants and organizers were impacted by the event, a mix of learning and fun to impact people on the importance of sanitation and Hygiene.

The participants had madedoodles for the word WASH. The dress code for the webinar was set blue. A post event questionnare was sent to evaluate the participation. 95% of the participants realised that too much water is wasted just while filling the form and the rest realised that they are unaware about water consumption. An interactive discussion at the end of the webinar was held to discuss water conservation methods in which everyone actively participated. All participants learned more about water conservation techniques, a subject they were not much aware about. Water wastage and pollution has become an impending problem in the recent years. Water, an essential fluid, has become a global garbage can. It is important to acknowledge and do our bit towards this issue. Hence, we decided to conduct a webinar aimed at raising awareness.

PROJECT W.A.S.H

TALK ON COVID PREVENTION

MEASURES

This event was conducted under project WASH of PHRD, AMSA India in association with ROTRACT. The event was held at Govt primary school, Mysore in order to spread knowledge and create awareness to all sections of the public regarding Covid prevention. Topics covered were prioritized in order of relevance consisted mostly of hand hygiene, ORS, Masks, and water conservation. Masks and sanitizers were also provided free of cost to the students and management of the school the cost being borne by AMSA and Rotract. The event helped create awareness in underprivileged children which is instrumental in promoting health of the community as a whole and preventing further spread of the coronavirus.

THR!VE

The members of NWG under project छलांG conducted an Online Awareness Campaign entitled as 'THR!VE' on 19th September, 2020 for Grade 6th , 7th & 10th Students of Hira Educational Institute, Mangalore, Karnataka THR!VE aimed to spread awareness related to Communicable as well as Non Communicable Diseases among children as they are the population at more risk due to little knowledge. It was an interactive session where the students were taught about communicable and non communicable diseases.

PROJECT छलांG

XPIRED A murder mystery event, Pired, was conducted by the college head, Thirumagal, for all medical colleges in her city. It was structured to confront gender biases that are often seen as "normal" due to generations of a similar kind of thinking. A game with a story of sexual harrassment, murder and gender inequality that made the participants think and re-think their choices and pre-existing misconceptions.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR HEROES?

A quiz/informative session about all the wonderful human beings who have broken barriers and proven time and again that gender never was, never is and can never be a boundary, that gender doesn't decide roles, responsibilities, professions, behaviour or entitles a special status to anyone, only our actions, capabilities and goodwill do!

GURUCOOL

GuruCool was a national event, that was also executed by 3 college heads as their NWG event in collaboration with the amazing NGO, Able Charities, Haryana. Ankita Sinhg and Ankita Drolia prepared informative videos on Gender Equality, First Aid, and a special infographic on Menstrual hygiene for all the girls affiliated with the NGO. Pranav Sharma was the on-ground organiser who taught the kids personal hygiene (hand hygiene, cough etiquettes and so on) and distributed special goodies! Ankita and Ankita connected with the kids via whatsapp video call and answered their questions. They interacted with 100 kids over a span of 2 days! With the outstanding efforts of these hardworking college heads, Project छलांG kicked off on ground activities of the Public Health and Research Department!

PROJECT छलांG

HI-YA!

Hi-Ya! was a national level virtual self-defense workshop conducted by the Project छलांG core team with an NWG Teammate in collaboration with CRY, with our special guests being members of the Knockout Fight Club, Delhi. The aim of the event was to promote gender equality by empowering all those joining to learn the skills of self defence, and to encourage good health through exercises to improve physical as well as mental strength. We invited Mr Mannan R Dattah, founder of Knockout Fight Club and a renowned Mixed Martial Artist, as our instructor. Registration fees of 70 Rupees (50 rupees for AMSA members) was decided upon to help our on-going fundraising venture with the reputed NGO CRY.

EQUITY, EQUALITY, EQUILIBRIUM

The event was Conducted in 2 interactive sessions for school going kids, grades 4th-10th. Spoke about health, sanitation, and gender equality, as per the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. 1st session (31.1.21) was conducted regarding sanitation and nutrition. 2nd session (6.2.21) was conducted on gender equality. To reiterate the importance of good nutrition and sanitary habits, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic. To gently touch upon the topic of gender equality

साफ़ रह हम, व

रह हम!

The event was done online in the presence of approximately 40 young children mostly from slums of delhi and focussed on interactively teaching them maintenance of general hygiene (Importance of masks, hygiene of hands, face, mouth, eye, ear, nose, body, dental, oral, environmental, bathroom etiquettes etc), its benefits on general and communal health and how it can prevent diseases and thus increase productivity.

SEX & GENDER SENSITIVE MEDICINE

A 2-day training workshop based on the topic: “Sex & Gender-sensitive medicine” was organized by Project सा य in collaboration with The Plane Jar (TPJ) as an effort towards creating sensitization among the medical students regarding gender & sexuality along with raising awareness about socio-legal aspects of gender-based violence. The workshop was organized for medical students from 15 colleges (whose college heads were a part of Project सा य NWG). Day 1: Aanchal Narang, a queer affirmative psychologist and trainer at The Plane Jar was the guest speaker on day 1. It was quite an interactive session where the students were introduced to the concepts of gender and sexuality in an extraordinary manner. Aanchal talked about the concept of “The charm circle”, explaining how we as medical students lie in the center of the circle, thus, making us responsible towards being a part of the change in the society. Day 2: It was an exhilarating session over socio-legal aspects of gender-based violence conducted by Donita Quadros, a criminologist and trainer at The Plane Jar. The participants were taught about the ways to address such issues as future medical practitioners. The students participated enthusiastically during the discussions and also shared their own perspectives, personal experiences and observations. The event was well-received and we were able to justify the intention with which the event was carried out.

The event was organised at Government Women’s Polytechnic, Mangalore, Karnataka. The flyer which was translated into Kannada was distributed amongst the participants. The college management helped to conduct the event and gathered 103 women above the age of 18 as participants for the event. The legal literacy camp was for 2 hours in total and covered 4 topics- dowry, domestic violence, sexual harassment and inheritance laws. Lastly, a post survey form was filled. Th speakers were from DK District Legal Forum.

PROJECT सा य

WHY LEGAL LITERACY?

The event was organised at Deep Griha Society, Ramtekdi Slum, Pune. The flyer which was translated into Marathi was distributed amongst the participants. The society management helped to conduct the event and gathered 40 women above the age of 18 as participants for the event. The legal literacy camp was for 2 hours in total and covered 4 topics- dowry, domestic violence, sexual harassment and inheritance laws. 3 volunteers from BJ Medical College, Pune were a part of the event. The event was organised at a Government Primary school in Andhra Pradesh. The flyer which was translated into Telugu was distributed amongst the women. The Anganwadi teacher helped to conduct the event and gathered 10 women above the age of 18 as participants for the event. The legal literacy camp was for 1hr 50 mins in total and covered 4 topics- dowry, domestic violence, sexual harassment and inheritance laws. Lastly, a post survey form was filled.

The event was held on Google Meet. Bhumi NGO and Visamo Foundation collaborated on this event. 50+ adolescents from 5 shelter homes were part of the event. The speaker was Ms. Pranuta Kantrar, a psychologist , Dr Harsh Desai and Dr Parth Vaishnav. The event was for 3 hours each day and covered comprehensive sex education and body positivity.

PROJECT सा य

OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 9

Sexual harassment at work is unfortunately something that is very predominant in today's world, the fact that it's not talked about as much along with its legal implications puts the victim at a very difficult place. Making them feel helpless. The event focused on Sexual Abuse at the Workplace, addressing it as an occupational hazard among the future doctors, increasing awareness on how to identify it and take action. It was carried out in two phases. The first phase was executed by circulating questionnaire about Sexual Abuse At the Workplace. This helped in addressing the awareness amongst the students about this topic. The second phase of the event was in the form of a webinar (via zoom) conducted as an interactive session to briefly address the issues on Sexual Abuse At the Workplace. This event was conducted by Aishwarya Gutgutia.

Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk of global deaths. Sedentary lifestyles and inactive recreation is worth mentioning. The event focused on childhood obesity as a risk factor for various diseases and addressing it as a occupational disease along with prevention measures among the school student community. This event was conducted by Shuddhi Ravani and Jeelugu Shreshta. E.H.M.S-Weight Can't Wait (Eat. Hydrate. Move. Sleep) was also conducted with the same theme which was formulated and conducted by Kavya M.

In this era of mechanization, humans themselves are slowly turning into machines relying on digital devices for work and education. This seems to have taken a hit for the worse during this of pandemic. Health has taken a backseat as we focus on work. Annie Singh, Bhavithra C K, Nasimin Nazar and Mruthulagi SP organized “Medibytes”, “Perils of online learning”, “Mundanities of mechanization” and “SmilEYE” respectively, aiming to spread awareness on the occupational health hazards faced by software professionals and college students as they are more prone to postural defects & eye problems like computer vision syndrome.

PROJECT SWAASTH AAJEEVIKA

OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 9

NOBLES DE IZQUIERDA When we succeed in life, we should remember where we began, the chalk and the duster. Have you ever thought of the problems faced by your teachers during those days? Teachers have been victims of vocal and physical problems. And currently even visual issues. The event "PROFESORA" focused on teaching the teachers about the chronic health problems faced by them and how to prevent the same. This event was conducted by Ebin B Thomas. Fertilizers not only affect plants but also the employees who create them. The event focussed on educating the employees in the Urea fertilizer industry about the health hazards they are exposed to and preventive measures for the same. This was carried out in 2 sessions addressing the factory officials from different ammonia based and fertilizer plants. The platform used was Zoom App, and the total duration was 45 minutes each. This event was conducted by Udit Choubey. During these challenging times of the pandemic, we launched SURAKSHA, targeting the informal sector assessing and spreading awareness about sanitizing and washing hands, proper mask usage and social etiquettes while at work. Could be the maid, the rickshaw puller or the sabziwala. This event was conducted by Zeenat Sarvar and M.shyam Sundar Sai. It was a great success with an impact of around 180 lives.

PROJECT SWASTH AAJEEVIKA

F E A T U R E D !

The entire PH&RD Family- DoPH, Our ever helping Coordinators, Our Project Heads and the Project Officers without whom all this would just be a dream! Our NWG team comprising of all the amazing College Heads. Sanjali Dharamshi, Project Head, Project WASH Saundarya Monga Anies Siya K S THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! WE HOPE YOUR YEAR WAS AS GREAT AS OURS.

phrdofamsaindia @phrd_amsaindia Public Health and Research Department of AMSA India