On 9 August 2026, RHSTEP’s Aparajeyo Tarunno (Unlocking Youth Potential – UYP) Project organized a program titled “Ensure Active Participation of Marginalized Groups in Health and SRHR Dialogues and Actions” at the RHSTEP UYP Dhaka Office. The initiative aimed to strengthen the advocacy capacity of marginalized adolescents by developing their skills in digital storytelling and AI-assisted comic creation.

The program began with a welcome speech by Mohammad Abu Raihan, Project Manager. The training session was facilitated by Saima Akter, Project Officer and Graphic Designer, who introduced participants to practical approaches for developing creative digital content. Aktanin Khayer Tanin, Senior Program Officer, provided participants with an introductory understanding of comic book designing and content selection.

The primary objective of the training was not simply to teach AI technology, but to help participants understand how AI can be used as a creative, inclusive and evidence-based advocacy tool. The training focused on enabling marginalized adolescents to communicate their lived experiences, concerns and demands for positive change in more powerful and visible ways.

Participants received an introduction to using AI-assisted approaches to develop effective messages, visual content and digital advocacy materials related to health and social issues. They also learned the basic elements of comic creation, including sketching, character drawing and dialogue writing, as initial steps toward developing engaging advocacy content.

Around 20 adolescents from the Mironjhilla and Korail communities, along with UYP mentors and advocates, participated in the program. Their participation provided an opportunity to connect creative digital skills with the real-life experiences and concerns of marginalized communities.

The overall coordination and supervision of the program was led by Zubaida Anjum Saba, Project Officer. Through this initiative, RHSTEP’s Aparajeyo Tarunno aims to equip marginalized young people with creative communication and advocacy skills so they can more effectively raise their voices on health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), inclusion and social issues.

The training demonstrated how accessible digital tools and creative storytelling can help young people transform their experiences and ideas into meaningful advocacy content, strengthening their participation in health and SRHR dialogues and actions.