MAMTA initiated its work on maternal and child health in urban slums and among rural poor more than a decade ago. During the course of the work 'young people' were identified as a resource with tremendous zeal to learn and willingness to change. Young people's need for information and services on Sexual and reproductive health was understood, a need which otherwise remained undressed and unrecognized. This  led to the beginning of pioneering efforts in this area. The possibility of a twining with Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU), an organisation having over 70 years of experience in Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (YRSHR) issues was explored and this became possible in later part of 1999 with the support of Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). MAMTA and RFSU met in October 1999 to look into areas of collaboration and twinning. Key working areas were identified with the premise that:

  
   Accurate and scientific information will enable young people to be responsible in exercising their sexual and reproductive health rights.

   Related developmental issues like access to education and school retention, prevention of early marriage, gender equity and other such issues that impact Young people and their Sexual and Reproductive Health needs attention.
   There is a yawning gap between the needs of ‘young people’ and the services provided to them. Services - be it health or education, should be suited to their age and situation.

   Government’s commitment to young people’s rights should be reflected in legal and policy reforms, which not only affect behaviour, but also can shape people’s understanding of equity and justice.

   Adoption of laws and policies should be accompanied by vigorous efforts to enforce and implement these measures.

   A joint proposal ‘Evolving strategies for Optimum Health and Development of Young People’ was submitted to SIDA by the two partners which got approval to work for 3 years (Phase 1). Year 2000 marked the beginning of long-term partnership between MAMTA and SIDA. The proposal looked at developing and testing strategies to work on the sensitive issue of YRSHR with a gender and rights perspective. RFSU with its decades of experience of working on sexuality and expertise in training has played an important role in building capacities of MAMTA and the twinning resulted in developing culturally and socially relevant strategies to work on these sensitive issues.<

   MAMTA and RFSU jointly conducted the first Advanced International Training programme on YSRHR for 10 South Asian countries in September 2003 at New Delhi.<

   The second Advanced International Training Program is due to be held in September 2004.