Everyone A Changemaker

Jasmeen Patheja is the founder of Blank Noise. Jasmeen was born and raised in Kolkata. Her family, traditional Punjabi business people migrated from Burma in the 1960s. Jasmeen attended one of the city’s best schools, but was always told she should prepare to be married by the time she turned twenty-one. Jasmeen always had the urge to use her creativity to make a difference. After studying psychology, Jasmeen was admitted to the esteemed Srishti School of Art Design and Technology in Bangalore. Wherever she went, she was haunted by the experience of being harassed on the streets, even as a young girl wearing her school uniform. In Bangalore, she knew her peers at the Srishti School had experienced similar sexual harassment. During her time in college, Jasmeen found ways to express her fundamental belief that an artist should engage directly in the process of social transformation. With her interest in the dynamics between the artist and the audience and public artwork, she produced Blank Noise as her final project for a course on communications for social change. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● The state of Defenselessness of the body is our birthright ● Defenselessness is a positive thing ● Be in our power everywhere not just in public spaces ● Building a committed community to intervene and be responsible in safeguarding women ● Creating a safe space for survivors to be heard Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “If everyone takes up the responsibility of caring for and protecting one another, while refusing to tolerate sexual violence and being unapologetic about it, our country and the world would be a safer place to live in.”

Parag Mankeekar is the founder of RealLives Foundation. Parag, a doctor in a rural village near Pune, transitioned from individual patient care to addressing broader public health issues. He created a comprehensive health education system to bridge the gap between social behavior and medical treatment. As a hospital administrator, he resolved disputes, revitalized the institution, and prioritized public health. After experiencing the Gujarat earthquake, Parag recognized the need for disaster education among young people and founded a non-profit organization to organize camps and develop educational games. Parag's approach involves utilizing schools, government agencies, and young individuals to spread awareness about disaster preparedness. Through curricula, disaster camps, and simulation games, information on personal safety and community responsibility is effectively reinforced. This multi-pronged approach ensures that the knowledge is retained by children and also shared with older family members and the broader community. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Travelled all over India on a scooter to experience other people’s lives ● Industrial Revolution killed the ability and creativity of humans ● Find inspiration in the stories of others, but ultimately forge your own unique story ● Teach about humanity and real life experiences in schools ● Incorporating educational elements within games ● If life is a game, then only games can really teach you about life Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “If we consider life as a game, then it is through games that we can truly learn about life's challenges, including issues like climate change, and the multitude of experiences we encounter in the world.”

Shannon Olsson is the founder of The Echo Network. Shannon, originally from rural New York, has spent 22 years listening to nature and building sustainable communities in India. With a Ph.D from Cornell University and experience at the Max Planck Institute and National Centre for Biological Sciences, she combines her scientific expertise with non-science sectors to create impactful change globally. As a chemical ecologist with over two decades of experience, she is a sought-after science consultant, sustainability advisor, and global speaker. Shannon works with organizations, companies, institutes, and governments worldwide to integrate empathetic science into their sustainability planning and climate action initiatives. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Achieving sustainability by bringing different sectors together ● Sustainability cannot be achieved through shortcuts ● Sustainability balances reducing consumption with uplifting communities ● Building a community of experts who generously share ideas and resources ● CHANGE scares everybody Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Sustainability involves uplifting communities in need while also reducing consumption. It is about finding a balance where both ends can be met simultaneously.”

Beena Chintalapuri is a founder of Internet Freedom Foundation. With expertise in cognitive psychology, historical and cultural personality types in India, and applied behavior modification, Dr. Beena has identified triggers, responses, and error patterns to correct them through behavior modification. Dr. Beena is transforming the perception of prisoners from being seen as a liability and outcasts within the prison system, to becoming a group of skilled professionals who can apply the principles of cognitive psychology to solve some of the most intricate issues facing the prison industry. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Inmates were returning with a new crime ● Prisoners require training more than therapy ● Developing their mindset more than their skills through training ● Education on how to reintegrate into mainstream society upon release ● Trained ex-inmates are inspirational and have a compelling testimony Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Prisoners don't have to face inhumane living conditions in the prison. Treating them with genuineness and respect and educating them on the consequences of criminal behaviour can change the course of their lives.”

Apar Gupta is a founder of Internet Freedom Foundation. Apar grew up in an upper-middle-class family in New Delhi. During his schooling years, Apar had two major interests that started to define the later years of his life, literature and technology. Apar's inclination towards social sciences led him to pursue Law, which not only aligned with his personal interests but also fulfilled his family's desire for a secure degree with promising career opportunities. After graduating from college, Apar first took the route of law practice, where he worked at a number of leading firms while also establishing his own. Apar believes that by engaging regulators, courts, and legislative bodies to transform grassroots campaigns into civic action for digital rights, he will be able to protect the constitutional liberties of vulnerable populations in India who are at risk and strives to advance human freedom in the digital age for all Indians. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Indian telecom companies currently rely heavily on revenue generated from data services ● Digital divide exists in India ● Net neutrality ● Governance frameworks, safeguards, and institutional processes required to analyze effects of technology implementation Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “As internet access continues to grow in India, public-led digital rights advocacy is crucial for ensuring accountability and protection of fundamental rights.”

TITLE: Improving Water Quality Through Communities w/Sunderrajan Krishnan Sunderrajan Krishnan is the founder of INREM Foundation. He has a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay and a PhD in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University. He has been a member of Indian Planning Commission 12th five-year plan working groups for ‘Sustainable Groundwater Management’ and ‘Water Database Development and Management’. Dr Krishnan’s work has mainly been in the two areas of Water harvesting and groundwater management, and in Water quality and health. Sunderrajan believes that implementing a comprehensive strategy to tackle water issues in communities facing significant impacts can lead to upliftment and improvement in the societies, ultimately resulting in positive changes in their way of life. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● People's livelihoods depends on water ● Water contamination is not easily detectable by our senses ● Reverse osmosis is a savior as well as a problem ● Unfortunately, the market puts its attention where the money is ● Make space for others to come in and make a greater impact together Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Climate change threatens water systems with trillions in damages, and urgent action is needed. We need to join our hands to bring in climate adaptation and promote water problem awareness.”

Nikita Ketkar is the founder of Masoom Education. Nikita is a postgraduate in Political Science from Mumbai University who successfully cleared the UPSC exam in 1996 and went on to join the Armed Forces Civil Services. After serving as a bureaucrat for a couple of years, she realized that she was not content with dealing solely with files and rules. She began volunteering for various organizations and, in 2001, stumbled upon night schools while working on a project related to domestic help for an NGO during their deputation with the NCC Directorate. The discovery that working students attended night schools to pass the 10th grade without basic resources like textbooks and science labs led her to make the decision to provide these students with the best education possible. Masoom developed a three-pronged model to provide the students with high-quality education. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Night School students are self-motivated ● Night schools are not visible by the society and policymakers alike ● Our work speaks louder than our mouth ● Improvement in passing percentage of Board exams ● Joint effort will make bigger impact Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “We need to build more platforms for youths coming from marginalized Indian society who are invincible to the society as well as policymakers, to help them achieve their dreams of success and create a better future.”

Anil Kumar Verma is a founder of PRAN. Anil proposed organic farming using the system of root intensification to a village in Bihar, but no one wanted to try it except for Kunti Devi. She succeeded in growing rice and inspired other women in her village and neighboring villages to try organic farming. Anil founded PRAN, a nonprofit that works with women farmers using the SRI technique. Women farmers are more inclusive in their thinking and when they earn, their social status increases, giving them a say in family and village matters. Anil has seen women farmers take up panchayat leadership and break taboos around menstruation to enter temples. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Anil persisted despite the discouragement by the villagers ● The impact was noticed by the entire community ● Women farmers have taken the initiative and had an impact in their community Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “The social status of women in rural India increases when they start earning, giving them a voice in family and village affairs”.

Christopher Turillo is the co-founder of Medha, a youth-centric organisation based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Chris co-founded Medha in Lucknow in 2011 to shape the future of the school-to-work transition by bringing a combination of 21st-Century skills education, workplace engagement, and alumni networks to government education systems. Medha is working with state governments to implement their career readiness programs in all colleges, through training government trainers and increasing investment in career counseling. Over the past decade, Medha has improved employment, employability, and life skills for more than 85,000 students across 600 educational institutions in some of the most under-resourced states in India. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Developing transferable abilities that will be necessary for future job prospects ● Experiential learning gives students practical experiences to enhance their abilities ● Partnering with government has facilitated the amplification of the impact on young people ● Scaling vs Impact ● Choosing a career which you are passionate about will eventually bring an impact Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “The focus on technical skill development in India must not overlook the importance of soft skills in the workforce. By institutionalizing career mentoring, employment exposure, and skill development in colleges, students will be more prepared for life.”

Rajesh Trivedi is a founder of Alert. Rajesh's diverse background and strong academic foundation have equipped him with the skills necessary to drive complex IT transformations. With a passion for creating positive impact, Rajesh has a deep commitment to using technology for the betterment of society. He continues to seek out new challenges and opportunities to make a difference in the world through his work. Rajesh's commitment to making a difference in the world led him to leave his corporate career and dedicate himself full-time to ALERT. ALERT is creating a community of individuals who are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to respond in emergency situations. Rajesh believes that by making first response training accessible and easy to understand, more people will be prepared to help in times of need. Through hands-on, practical training, ALERT aims to empower individuals to act as Good Samaritans and make a difference in their communities. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● At least one member in the family trained as a Good Samaritan. ● Leverage technology to bring impact through the next generation ● Empowering every common man to save lives in emergency ● ALERT curriculum must be standardized across educational institutes of India ● ADVICE TO BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS: Stay focused on your goal of impacting the society Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Despite being a country where pizza delivery is quicker than ambulance response, it is crucial for citizens like us to learn life-saving skills and be prepared for emergency situations.”

TITLE: Bridging The Gap Between Schools & Communities w/Saransh Vaswani Saransh Vaswani is the founder of Saajha. He graduated from Hans Raj College, Delhi University, a Gandhi fellow. Saransh has also done the Young India fellowship program (Ashoka University). He was also awarded the Echoing Green fellowship in 2014 and was featured in Forbes India’s 30 under 30 list of young achievers. Saransh believes that public education is one of the most accessible tools for social mobility, better life outcomes for our children and a truly democratic nation. For him, education is about enabling that democratic path, bringing in voices of parents and families to transform the education system. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Involving parents in children’s education is critical. ● Parents need a support community to have the right information about their child’s growth. ● Finding the right partners who will champion your vision is critical for sustainability. ● Understanding the value of your impact helps you grow in your social entrepreneurial journey. Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE "Public education is one of the most accessible tools for social mobility, better life outcomes for our children and nation. We must work to enable that democratic path, bringing in voices of parents and families to transform the education system."

Anusha Bharadwaj is the founder of Voice4Girls. Anusha has been a development sector professional since 2002 and her core expertise is in child education and health, adolescent health, gender, public health and rural development. She holds an MBA in Rural Management from Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and an MA in Sociology from Annamalai University. In her spare time, Anusha is a documentary photographer and she believes that this lends a unique perspective into the communities she serves. Anusha believes that marginalized adolescent girls in India must be enabled to take charge of their future and work towards breaking harmful cycles of economic, social, and gender inequality in their communities. Anusha understood that it is not enough to work with girls in isolation but working with adolescent boys as well and educating them will scale the impact and help build gender-equality society. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● You give girl a voice, she begins to change her world ● It is important to involve adolescent boys in the process to scale the impact ● Working with public systems has been time consuming but also has been the most rewarding ● The world is broken enough and the only people who can fix it are the children ● These adolescent girls have inspired many other young women Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Adolescent girls and boys are the future of our society who can build and inspire other young women and men to take charge of their future and work towards breaking harmful cycles of economic, social, and gender inequality of their communities.”

Biplab Paul is the founder of Naireeta Services. Born in 1970 in the small town of Chinsurah in West Bengal, Biplab went to a local school where he engaged in Indian Scouts and Guides. He fondly remembers his scouts training as teaching him to be empathetic to the needs of others. Biplab completed his master’s degree in economics from Jadavpur University of Kolkata (1994) before taking a course on environmental education at the Center for Environment Education, Ahmedabad. Biplab’s time of over a year exposed him to the problems of the rural poor in an arid region of Gujarat. This changed his perspective and he began to understand the importance of using technology to improve the lives of those in underserved communities. The painful experience of cycle of farmers struggle to make their livelihoods convinced him that water was the basic need for people to lead better lives. Biplab then started working toward an innovative solution that could eventually reduce gender violence, maternity mortality, child mortality, and social conflict, besides known problems such as crop failure and poverty. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● My mother supported me and taught me to work for the good of others ● Bhungroo allowed the farmers to grow crops all year round ● Grant cannot sustain you for long. 1:5 Model is a successful financial model ● Being in the shoe of the farmers and empathize with their struggles is powerful ● When you are able to make community part of the solution, you are successful Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Working with communities of farmers who have been hit by endless cycle of natural disasters, one needs to be in their shoes and have empathy and then work to change their course of livelihood.”

Ashok Kamath is the founder of Akshara Foundation. Immediately after obtaining his M.Sc. from IIT Bombay, Mr. Ashok Kamath joined Analog Devices Inc., a Boston-based manufacturer of integrated circuits. Later he set up the Analog Devices India, and retired as its Managing Director in March 2004. He opted to leave behind a successful career in the corporate sector and involve himself in the development sector. Ashok believes that children should not be deprived of quality education just because they do not have access to it or the resources to realize their dreams. He believe that the use of technology and shared digital infrastructure has become more relevant now than ever and that it is important to leverage their combined power to impart education to all children. He believes that quality education can bring a change to their lives as it did to him and eventually impact the nation as a whole. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Quality education made a difference in my life ● Unless you bring in the community into the system in a big way, it's not going to work. ● Having access to the teacher and to technology at the same, the child is put in a more equitable space ● Scalability, sustainability, and replicability is needed to really penetrate the system. ● Advice to upcoming social entrepreneur: integrity Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Good education made a difference in life. So, we need to work together to make good education available to all the children in our country. So that they can make a difference in the future for our country.”

Merlia Shaukath is the founder of Madhi Foundation. Merlia is an alumna of Stella Maris College, London School of Economics and Political Science, and the University of Oxford. She comes with an experience of nearly 10 years in the development sector with leadership roles in organisations like Teach For India and Athena Infonomics. She envisions a world where every child has a truly equal chance to achieve their potential. She believes that the foundational literacy and numeracy learning gaps among children must be eliminated over the next ten years, in order to avert a monumental crisis and societal breakdown, where schooling does not equate to learning, and education is significantly devalued. By working with the government of Tamil Nadu, Madhi Foundation is committed to ensure that every child achieves foundational learning. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Access to quality early childhood education is the greatest leveler against social inequity ● Government has a big role in scaling the impact in education sector ● Empathize with the government and understand the ground reality ● Working to change the education system is a long journey and requires patience ● Build a team where they are aligned to the mission and vision of the foundation Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “The government is the only machinery that you can work with if you want to create scalable impact in education system, but one need a lot of learning, listening and empathising with what our teachers and children had to say”

TITLE: Developing High Quality Public Education Systems w/Madhukar Banuri Madhukar Banuri is the founder of Leadership For Equity. Born to middle class parents in South India, Madhukar began his education being exposed to farming and studying in a government run school in his village for the first 7 years of his life. He has more than 11 years of experience in the education sector, and had previously worked with Pune City Connect and Teach For India. Madhukar has an engineering degree from BITS Pilani. He envisions an India where there is equality in access to excellent education to each and every child irrespective of their birth; where teachers are invested in the learning of their students; where education officers are deeply committed and empowered to support schools; and where the government leaders empower systems with the sole intention to better academic outcomes that prepare students for students for future generations. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● People, Policy and Process bring about sustainable change in any ecosystem ● Empowering the government systems to deliver quality education at scale ● Advising and advocating with senior leadership on designing policies in the areas of teacher and officer development ● Young talents to play a big role in the education sector Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Public systems are, by definition, the gatekeepers to equity and that sensitive and effective public systems will ensure that all children receive an excellent education, which is their fundamental right.”

Arundhuti Gupta is the founder of Mentor Together. Arundhuti studied Bachelor of Commerce from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore and Master's in Finance, Manchester Business School. As a soon-to-be college graduate in 2007, she had several ideas about how she could make a difference in her city, but needed an initial push and a safe space to explore her abilities. Mentorship she accessed fortuitously helped her get started and discover how empowering working with young people was. At the start of a career in Finance then she chose to instead pay forward the mentorship she received, to ensure it wasn't left to chance, and Mentor Together was born in November 2009. Mentoring young women from different social and economic backgrounds helps them to advance in their career and succeed in life. Mentoring relationships and mentoring networks can come in at crucial times in their life to really help them with a range of different types of support they need; emotional, career and life skills. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6https://www.youtube.com/c/ashokahttps://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Right support and guidance can empower women to advance in their career, help the communities and encourage more young women to pursue their career.”

Vishwanath S is the founder of Biome Environmental Trust. He is a Civil Engineer from Mysore University and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from CEPT, Ahmedabad. He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Urban Environmental Management from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He has designed and implemented many water , wastewater , rainwater harvesting and ecological sanitation systems. He has also worked on policy teams for the writing of the State Water Policy, rainwater harvesting policy and bye-laws for Bengaluru city, wastewater reuse policy for the state of Karnataka and as an adviser for the National Wastewater Policy . His current interests include the integration of livelihoods aspects with rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse and groundwater recharge. Rainwater harvesting not only brought drinking water security but it also brought gender equity to women in rural areas and brought livelihoods to communities as a whole. Vishwanath empowered many others in the community to champion the vision to educate the public and practice rainwater harvesting. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6https://www.youtube.com/c/ashokahttps://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Technology when put to good use can aid and enhance environment sustainability and bring livelihood to communities.”

Sanjay Sharma is a founder of Manjari Foundation based at Dholpur Rajasthan. He holds a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering from Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana, Punjab, India and Masters in Sustainable International Development majored in Development Economics from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Waltham, Boston, MA, USA. Over the years he has been instrumental in shaping favorable and socially inclusive policies at the state and centre level with a mission of poverty eradication and women empowerment. He has been working as a committee member in various groups with rural development department, livestock and dairy departments, cooperative departments of the government of Rajasthan. Coming from an economically not well off background, and the experiences he had growing up, Sanjay wanted to contribute back to the society using his skills and education and give them a better life. As he grew up in a conservative society, he was exposed to challenges and disadvantages that women had to face in the patriarchal society. This is why he decided to mobilize these women into some institution so that they will feel comfortable coming out of their closet and exercise their choices. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: ● Finding meaning in life through rural women empowerment ● Creating a generational impact in conservative society ● Women are initiators and change agents ● Not only empowering but enabling women to daily livelihoods ● Rising of entrepreneurial women in a conservative society Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker ● Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6 ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ashoka ● Website: https://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Women empowerment in rural areas is not only about personality and leadership development but it's about uplifting their skills and adding their values in the society.”

Sonal Kapoor is a founder of Protsahan. She attended a convent-run school. Through her education, she was passionate about writing and creative arts. After her school education, she went on to pursue Microbiology and later completed her post-graduation, in business management. Soon after, she took up a corporate job in the mutual fund industry, but soon realized this was not the area she felt satisfied working in. She eventually moved to a corporate communication role and it was in this role, during a corporate film shoot, that she met a young mother. She had six young daughters and revealed that she was sending her 8-year-old daughter to a brothel to make enough money to feed her other children. There were other mothers who remarked, in a matter-of-fact manner, that they would be okay if their girl children died, as they were struggling to take care of their daughters. This incident spurred Sonal to work on these issues and bring about change in the lives of these girls. Protsahan was launched with this vision at play. It prompted Sonal to sketch an idea to approach this issue after conducting a three-week feasibility study in the area. Sonal leveraged her experience working in the film-making and communication space to start her work. She tackled education first – opening a creative arts school in a slum in South West Delhi. Her venture, named Protsahan, aimed at curbing the root of the problem – providing infrastructure and facilities for vulnerable girls to find their way into mainstream education. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: Subscribe To Everyone A Changemaker https://open.spotify.com/show/2WXoA5uYcYUtiu0KO8AQm6https://www.youtube.com/c/ashokahttps://www.ashoka.org/en-in QUOTE: “Our impact in working with sexually abused girls is not measured by the numbers but by the depth of their trust in work and our vision.”