Marking International Youth Day on August 12, 2026, Miracle Foundation India participated in a youth consultation organized by Bal Kalyan Sangh and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The event brought together Hon’ble Governor of Jharkhand, Shri Santosh Gangwar; ILO Deputy Director, Shri Oktavianto Akhirsah Pasaribu; Smt. Prerna Dixit, IAS, Additional Secretary, Department of Rural Development; Shri Bijay Kumar Sinha, IAS, Director, Jharkhand State Child Protection Society; and Shri Jitendra Kumar Singh, IAS, Secretary, Department of Labour, along with youth representatives, child champions and civil society organizations.
Representing Miracle Foundation India, Youth Ambassador Simran from Pune shared her grassroots experience, including her work with Bal Panchayats, where children and young people can raise concerns, participate in decisions and connect with community and child protection mechanisms. Speaking on ‘Youth as Partners in Sustainable Development – Building Inclusive, Child-Friendly and Future-Ready Communities,’ she highlighted how Bal Panchayats, engagement with Ward Child Protection Committees and other stakeholders, and close collaboration with local systems can enable young people to play an active role in creating change in their communities.
Miracle Foundation India’s Associate Director – Program (North Zone), Subroto Chatterjee, also contributed to the consultation, highlighting the importance of moving from “doing for youth” to “working with youth”, while ensuring that young people are connected to existing child protection systems rather than expected to take on responsibilities that belong to adults and institutions.
This approach is reflected in the work of Miracle Foundation India’s Youth Ambassadors across Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Telangana. During August, their activities included life skills and workplace-readiness sessions, transition guidance for care-experienced young people, Bal Panchayat and child protection activities, engagement with Child Care Institutions and communities, and capacity-building on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Together, these efforts show young people participating across different spaces, contributing their perspectives and being recognized for their contributions within their communities.