Megha Upadhyay, India

Photo by Maihyet Burton

"MAMTA, the organization where I work, didn't start out as an organization that was involving youth in their programs—it just happened that way. Wherever young people were involved, the results were much better. I am extremely motivated to work with young people, especially in rural areas of India, and find fieldwork and experience invigorating. My experience of working with political, health, and school systems has formed a strong belief that young people have an inherent potential to contribute constructively in the planning and execution of programs meant for them."

About Megha

Megha Upadhyay is a social worker and journalist born in Delhi, India. After receiving her Bachelors degree in Journalism and Social Science from Lady Shri Ram College in 1999, she joined a prime news channel in Delhi and worked as a political reporter for over two years. Megha currently works as a program manager for advocacy and networking with MAMTA Health Institute for Mother & Child in New Delhi, India, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that has advocated for young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights for more than a decade. Megha is currently forming a forum of young people from the Srijan network—which is managed by MAMTA and links over 150 NGOs across India that are working with young people on various issues. The forum aims to involve disadvantaged and marginalized young people from urban and rural settings in advocating for youth sexual and reproductive health and rights. In February 2004, Megha participated in "A Dialogue with Young Leaders: Building Capacity and Fostering Participation," a meeting of 15 young advocates for sexual and reproductive rights from around the world, organized by IWHC in partnership with the Youth Coalition.

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