An Interview with Student Changemaker Kayana Monga Working on Rural Mental Health

The Role of Partnerships, CSR Support, and Youth Leadership in Expanding Impact

By Rusen Kumar

NEW DELHI (India CSR): Mental health remains one of the most overlooked aspects of healthcare in rural India, especially among children and adolescents. Lack of awareness, stigma, and limited access to professional support often leave emotional distress unrecognized and untreated. Addressing this critical gap, Kayana Monga, a student at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, launched Project Muskan, a youth-led initiative focused on improving mental health awareness and support systems for children in rural communities.

Through structured engagement sessions, screenings under professional supervision, and partnerships with psychologists and community organizations, Project Muskan aims to build a pathway from awareness to identification and referral for care. The initiative has already reached more than 500 children and identified over 40 high-risk cases, highlighting the urgent need for accessible mental health support in underserved areas.

In this India CSR Interview, Rusen Kumar, Editor of India CSR, speaks with Kayana Monga about the inspiration behind Project Muskan, the challenges of addressing mental health stigma in rural communities, and how structured partnerships and long-term support can strengthen grassroots mental health interventions.

Edited excerpts of an interview:

What triggered the idea for Project Muskan, and what specific gap in rural mental health were you trying to address?

Project Muskan was deeply personal in its origin. I struggled with anxiety for over two years before I even understood what mental health meant. I didn’t have the vocabulary to describe what I was feeling, and that confusion stayed with me. Later, during a visit to a village in Haryana, I met a young girl who had stopped eating and speaking after losing her father. Instead of recognizing her grief, people questioned her academic performance and her responsibilities at home. That moment made it clear to me that emotional distress in rural communities often remains invisible or misunderstood. There was no structured pathway from awareness to clinical care, especially for children. Muskan was created to bridge that gap – to make emotional wellbeing visible, valid, and supported.

Can you explain the intervention model you have built, from awareness to identification to referral and follow-up?

Our intervention model is structured but begins gently. We start with non-clinical engagement – art-based sessions, discussions, and interactive activities – to build trust and psychological safety before introducing screening. Once children feel comfortable, we conduct culturally adapted screenings under the supervision of licensed psychologists. Cases identified as high-risk are referred to our partner psychologists, with urgent situations fast-tracked for crisis care. At the same time, we train local volunteers to recognize early signs of emotional distress so that support continues within the community even after our sessions conclude. The goal is not a one-time intervention, but a sustainable chain of awareness, identification, referral, and follow-up.

Reaching over 500 children and identifying 40+ high-risk cases is significant. What processes ensured accuracy and responsible handling?

Accuracy and ethics have been central to our work from the beginning. All screenings are conducted under professional supervision, and only trained psychology interns and licensed psychologists handle red-flag identification. Cases are anonymized, securely documented, and reviewed before any referral decisions are made. We intentionally separate operational teams from clinical teams to protect confidentiality and ensure that decisions are evidence-based rather than emotional. Each high-risk case is carefully assessed and, where necessary, double-reviewed to ensure responsible and timely intervention.

How did you build credibility and trust within rural communities where mental health conversations are often stigmatized?

Trust did not come from credentials. It came from sitting on the floor and listening. We never began with clinical terminology or formal assessments. Instead, we started with conversations, art, and activities that normalized emotional expression. We ensured informed parental consent before beginning any formal intervention, while maintaining a safe and independent space for children to express themselves. We made repeated visits rather than one-time appearances, allowing relationships to develop organically. Over time, communities began to trust us not because of our credentials, but because of our presence and respect for their lived realities.

What partnerships have been critical to the success of the initiative?

Partnerships have been foundational to Muskan’s growth. Our network of over 20 psychologists ensures that all clinical interventions are ethical and professionally guided. NGOs, orphanages, and government schools have provided structured access to children in need, especially in rural and under-resourced areas. Healthcare professionals have strengthened our referral systems for high-risk cases. Engagement with the Delhi Health Ministry has also helped us better understand systemic gaps and position our work within larger policy conversations.

Your work has received recognition from the Delhi Health Ministry and has been referenced in UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report. How has this institutional validation influenced your scale or approach?

For the first year, I wasn’t focused on recognition; I was focused on impact. However, institutional acknowledgment significantly expanded our reach and credibility. It allowed us to engage more confidently with policymakers, schools, and professionals. It also broadened my perspective – what began as a local initiative became part of a much larger conversation about child and adolescent mental health.

Note: Just clarifying that Project Muskan itself has not been referenced in UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children Report. I personally contributed insights and shared my experiences as a young entrepreneur and mental health advocate in India.

From a CSR standpoint, what kind of structured support would meaningfully strengthen rural mental health interventions like yours?

Mental health initiatives require sustained support rather than one-time funding. Long-term partnerships that invest in clinical supervision, infrastructure expansion, and digital accessibility in rural areas would make a significant difference. Training frontline workers to identify early signs of distress can help create community-level resilience. Subsidized therapy, affordable medication access, and multi-year funding commitments would help address the financial constraints that often prevent rural families from seeking care, while allowing grassroots organizations like ours to build stable and scalable support systems.

As a young founder, what were the biggest operational or systemic challenges you faced while executing this on the ground?

One of the biggest challenges was balancing emotional sensitivity with operational responsibility. Witnessing children struggle while trying to build structured systems around them required resilience. Language barriers, parental stigma, and limited rural infrastructure added complexity. There were also moments of personal doubt – questioning whether we were doing enough or reaching effectively. Over time, I learned that empathy must be paired with structure, and that impact requires both compassion and discipline.

How has your learning experience within the IB framework shaped the way you designed and implemented Project Muskan?

The IB framework significantly influenced how I approached research, ethics, and community engagement. It trained me to evaluate sources critically, design evidence-based interventions, and prioritize informed consent. Beyond academics, it strengthened my communication skills and taught me the importance of being an attentive listener – whether persuading psychologists to collaborate with us or creating a space where children felt safe enough to trust us. Exposure to diverse global perspectives deepened my sensitivity to cultural context and inclusivity. Applying classroom concepts to real-world settings sharpened my analytical thinking and reinforced that sustainable change requires both theoretical grounding and practical adaptation.

About the Author

Rusen Kumar, Editor of India CSR, is a renowned thought leader in the field of Corporate Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He regularly writes insightful articles and conducts interviews with industry leaders, policymakers, and development practitioners, promoting dialogue on responsible business and sustainable development.

(India CSR)