The Better India · 44 days ago

How Hapchi Is Transforming Child Safety and Mental Well-Being in Indian Schools

When her four-year-old son casually mentioned learning "good touch, bad touch" at school, Dr. Kanika Sharma felt an unsettling question form: was that really enough? That maternal unease grew into Hapchi, a structured safety curriculum now reaching 60,000 students across India, teaching children not just to recognize danger but to name their feelings, set boundaries, and trust they'll be heard. During one session, a fifth-grader found the language to disclose abuse at home - a moment that defines what Kanika calls "the real meaning of success": "When a child says, 'This is my boundary, you can't violate it,' and seeks help, that's the impact we're working for." What began as one mother's restlessness has become a quiet revolution in how schools approach child safety - embedding it not as a single awkward workshop, but as year-long conversations that treat protection as a right, not an exception.