Kishor Varta through Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) 
ADOLESENT CONVERSATION/KISHOR VARTA

KISHOR VARTA is an innovative approach for leveraging technology through using digital device mobile phone to reach out adolescents students in schools and communities. CHSJ has developed a series of audio-video stories around issues of body literacy, sexuality, gender discrimination, masculinity, menstruation, night ejaculation, girl’s mobility consent and age at marriage etc. One can get connected with these audio stories through a basic mobile phone by dialing toll free number. The stories have been developed based on prevailing ideas and myths around gender issues emerged in baseline survey in rural areas of Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Kishore Varta Programme succeeded in winning 2016 Mobile For Good Award in ‘Women Empowerment and Inclusive development’ category facilitated by NASSCOM and supported by Vodafone Foundation.
 
Objective: Providing an innovative digital platform and link it to face to face activities among the rural community of Bundi district in order to raise issues of gender based violence and adolescent SRHR among young men, adolescents  and boys.
 
Project Partner: CHSJ is implementing Kishore Varta programme with local partner Manjari Sansthan.
 
Project Area: 30 villages and 15 senior secondary schools in Nainwa block of Bundi district in Rajasthan.
 
Kishore Varta Products: 48 audio drama Hindi stories, Toll Free Phone Number, Kishor Varta Fact book with original illustrations on YouTube.

Main Project Activities:
  • Meetings to facilitate session on audio stories with students of adolescent age
  • Meetings with parents at community and schools teachers at school level
  • Meetings at village level with panchayat members and service providers and others
  • Mobilisation activities to identify 60 Yuva Saathi in 30 villages of one block 
  • Creating data base of 450 yuva saathi working on changing social norm in their respective villages
  • Linkage of Yuva Saathi with Ek Saath campaign's national and state campaign hubs

Project Resources: Click here to read
Media Coverage: Media Link - Download I Media Link - Download  I Media Link -Download  I Media Link -Download   I Media Link - Download
P R O J E C T    I M P A C T
  • Over 50,000 calls registered in 3 months, 6000 callers have had a deeper engagement through responses, feedbacks and audio messages.
  • As reported by the students, teachers as well as the back-end data generated, the stories are very popular as means of providing information.
  • Adolescent girls and boys are regularly calling and demanding more information, especially on issues related with body literacy, health, reproductive and sexual health, etc
  • Incorporation of gender module in the regular school curriculum.
  • Increased role and responsibility of service providers towards adolescent health entitlements.
  • Initiation of talk on issues like body literacy, gender discrimination, masculinity.
  • Setting up of new gender social norms at the individual and community level and silence around RSHR issues is reduced
  • Discussions on gender stereotypes, body literacy, gender discrimination, masculinity have started
  • Setting up of new gender social norms at the individual and community level and silence around adolescent reproductive health concerns reduced