Shadhika

Reading Time: 6 minutes The 2020 Leaders for Change Summit was one to remember! This year rather than an in-person, 4-day event in India, due to the pandemic we had to pivot to a virtual platform. Our team creatively planned three days of leadership activities for our Shadhika Scholars all via WhatsApp, a free texting platform where all participants could   

Reading Time: 7 minutes As we near the end of October, our Shadhika team and partners reflected on the multitude of ways we have transitioned and adapted all in-person programming and communication to virtual platforms since March 2020. Indeed, our collective global society is more and more accustomed to the reality of virtual conferences, training, lectures, classrooms, and even   

Reading Time: 4 minutes Over the last few months and into next year, the experts are clear: Special attention must be paid to girl-centered issues in order to mitigate the regressive effects of the pandemic on gender equity around the world. For instance, the lack of access to menstrual hygiene still holds girls and women back. In India and   

Reading Time: 4 minutes All young women deserve equal access to education and an opportunity to determine the exact circumstances of their lives. As an educated accomplished woman, I feel it is my responsibility to lift the next generation to dream big dreams and achieve their fullest potential in India and around the globe.  Shadhika’s work and mission are opening   

Reading Time: 8 minutes This interview is part of our When She Leads: Back to School series. Learn more. Swati is a rising 12th grade student who plans to pursue a Bachelor’s of Medicine to become a medical doctor. She is a program participant and a Grade 11-12 Shadhika Scholar with our partner site Vacha in Maharashtra. Swati was interviewed by Program Officer   

Reading Time: 5 minutes What a difference a year makes – one year ago we were excitedly planning our first trip to India with our children.  I’d grown up visiting family in India every few years and the impression it left on me was both of a rich culture that connected me to my roots and also of a   

Reading Time: 5 minutes This interview is part of our When She Leads: Back to School series. Learn more. Priyanka is a rising Shadhika Scholar who plans to pursue a Bachelor’s of Legislative Law towards a career as a Civil Judge. She is a program participant with our partner site Milaan in Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka was interviewed by Program Officer Kendra Nicolai and   

Reading Time: 6 minutes This interview is part of our When She Leads: Back to School series. Learn more. Geeta is a rising Shadhika Scholar who plans to pursue a degree in Business Management. She is a program participant with our partner site Vacha in Maharashtra. Geeta was interviewed by Program Officer Kendra Nicolai and Donor & Program Associate Sabah Siddiqui. Press play   

Reading Time: 15 minutes In August 2020, as India celebrated it’s 74th Independence Day, the central government announced they would increase the legal age of marriage for Indian women from 18 years to 21 years with the hope of halting issues related to the age of motherhood, maternal mortality rates and child nutritional levels. The existing law, “The Prohibition   

Reading Time: 4 minutes It is undeniable that the spread of the coronavirus is pulling the curtain back on the most severe inequalities around the world and exacerbating their impact on the most marginalized. The anecdotal evidence and early data paint a grim picture of the compounding effects of COVID on existing vulnerabilities affecting women and girls in India.   

Reading Time: 6 minutes This interview is part of our When She Leads: Back to School series. Learn more. Mangala is a rising Shadhika Scholar and plans to pursue a degree in Teaching & Education. She is a program participant with our partner site Baale Mane in Karnataka. Mangala was interviewed by Program Officer Upasana Saha and Marketing & Program Associate Vaishu Manjunath.   

Reading Time: 3 minutes Have you ever been so moved that you just had to do something? That’s exactly what happened to me when I was first introduced to Shadhika’s work in India. We all have causes that pull at our heart strings or touch us personally. For me, it’s always been children and especially those who are disadvantaged   

Reading Time: 7 minutes This interview is part of our When She Leads: Back to School series. Learn more. Tajdina is a second year Shadhika Scholar pursuing her degree in Nursing. She is a program participant with our partner site Jabala in West Bengal. Tajdina was interviewed by Program Officer Kendra Nicolai and Donor & Program Associate Sabah Siddiqui. Press play to hear   

Reading Time: 3 minutes In July, Shadhika started sharing blogs from our board members. In their own words, Susan and Lisa expressed why they are serving on our board and what their respective vision is for the organization and our program participants. The series will continue into the fall, so keep an eye out for those blogs! In the   

Reading Time: 8 minutes With nearly 370,000 known COVID-19 cases and over 12,000 related deaths, India is in Phase I of re-opening the country after nearly 3 months of strict national lockdown. This means that places of worship and select hospitality businesses–including shopping malls–are allowed to be open while respecting social distancing precautions. Whether or not the country will