Youth honored at the Noni Johar 4.0 program, filled with new energy
250 children from 15 districts participated in UNICEF’s fourth edition of ‘Noni Johar’“
“The youth of Noni are the heritage of Chhattisgarh” – Vishwajit Tomar
A daughter of Chhattisgarh should neither cry nor be lost; she must be cherished” – Dr. Varnika
Raipur: Under the joint aegis of the Alliance for Behaviour Change, UNICEF, and Agricon Samiti, the fourth edition of Noni Johar began as a two-day event at Babylon International Hotel, Raipur. On the theme “Behaviour Matters,” 250 young participants from 15 districts engaged in discussions and shared their learnings on various social issues.The program was inaugurated jointly by the Chief Guest Dr. Varnika Sharma, Chairperson of the Chhattisgarh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights; Special Guest Vishwavijay Singh Tomar, Chairperson of the State Youth Commission; Abhishek Singh (SBC Specialist, UNICEF Chhattisgarh), Bal Paritosh (UNICEF), and Chetna Desai (Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF).Dr. Varnika Sharma emphasized the spirit of Noni Johar, saying,“Daughters of Chhattisgarh should not cry, nor be lost; they must be cherished—only then will Noni Johar be truly meaningful.”Special Guest Vishwavijay Singh Tomar said that Chhattisgarh’s youth have always been ambassadors of development, and the participating youth at Noni Johar proved this once again.UNICEF SBC Specialist Abhishek Singh said that instead of large interventions, even small efforts can bring sustainable development. “By investing in small everyday behaviours, we can achieve big change,” he noted.UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Chetna Desai highlighted that adolescence is a crucial stage where the government, society, and influencers must invest.A resource titled ““सकारात्मक परवरिश की राह: सहज” was also released during the event.In the Letter to Yourself session, Vibhuti Duggal guided children to write letters to themselves to heal emotional burdens and build stronger self-identities.Falguni, who develops AI software for persons with disabilities, shared extensive insights on the use of AI for improved health outcomes.The guests then visited various stalls set up by children on themes such as disability, education, cyber safety (“Cyber Hero”), Nutrition for Revival from Bilaspur, Empowerment through Equality from Kabirdham, and Colors of the Mind – Faces Speak. The creativity, understanding, and presentation of the children were widely appreciated.Throughout the day, young volunteers shared their experiences and enjoyed regional folk songs.Among the other dignitaries present were Saroj Chandrakar (Raipur District Panchayat Chairperson), Prof. Yogendra Chaubey (Khairagarh University), Rashmi Verma (Raipur Rural BJP Mahila President), State Nodal Officer of Alliance Manish Singh, Manas Banerjee (Agricon), UNICEF Consultant Chandan Kumar, Abhishek Tripathi, and others.
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