The Telangana Government launched a new programme called ‘Sneha Groups’ for teenage girls. The objective is to improve their health, leadership skills and self-confidence. Women and Child Welfare Minister Seethakka launched the project at Pragathi Bhavan on Friday. These groups will work on a community model similar to women’s self-help groups.
The programme targets girls aged between 15 and 18 years across the state. Telangana has 19.13 lakh girls in this age group. In the first phase, 6,138 Sneha Groups were formed with 65,615 girls. Jogulamba Gadwal district formed 568 groups with 6,662 girls, while Warangal district formed 439 groups with 4,167 girls. More than 10,000 girls in both districts will receive benefits through this initiative.
The groups will focus on awareness and training. Key areas include health, mental well-being, menstrual hygiene, nutrition, cyber safety, skill development, online abuse prevention and career guidance. Training programmes will also encourage financial independence and confidence building.
SERP and UNICEF are jointly supporting the implementation. NFHS-5 data shows 58% of girls suffer from anaemia and 40% are underweight. Many girls also face challenges like child marriage and school dropouts. ‘Sneha’ aims to create equal opportunities and long-term empowerment.
