There are 21 districts in Uttar Pradesh where most young people have never met a therapist. Not once.

There are 21 districts in Uttar Pradesh where most young people have never met a therapist. Not once.

Project Saathi is trying to change that, and last week, we started in my mom's hometown.

Some context: Project Saathi is our partnership with NTPC to bring mental health support to students and young people across UP. The goal is big - reach 3,500 people who have likely never had a single interaction with a mental health professional. Awareness first, followed by care.

Bringing therapy to the grassroots.

Saharanpur has always been personal to me. It's my mom's hometown - I spent many summers of my childhood there visiting family. So when we planned our workshops in the city, it was important that we do a good job and create lasting impact.

Last month, we ran 3 workshops over 2 days -- two in government polytechnics and one at a local clinic. And I left with a lot of stories. Stories of pain, but also of resilience and hope.

The girls were studying STEM. They had dreams - B.Tech admissions, government jobs, careers their families hadn't imagined for them. But underneath the ambition was stress they had no vocabulary for. Academic pressure, family expectations, the weight of being the first in their families to aim this high.

The boys were a different story. They walked in with the body language you'd expect - arms crossed, too cool, "this mental health stuff isn't for me." Two hours later, some of those same boys were in tears during 1-on-1 counseling sessions. Family issues. Adjustment struggles after leaving their hometowns. Futures that felt uncertain.

We ran 140+ assessments and consequent on-ground therapy sessions in their own classrooms over those 48 hours. The results confirmed what the conversations already told us - real stress, anxiety, and depression. For most of these students, we were their first encounter with therapy. Ever.

The part that stays with me? Many of them are still continuing sessions with our team. That first conversation opened a door they didn't know existed. And we are supporting them through a very core period of their lives.

Project Saathi has a long way to go. 3,500 people across UP. But events like this one remind me why we built Emoneeds - to take mental health where it's never been before.