The Groundswell
“Because of Shadhika, I could study and become independent. I now have a voice and can freely speak.”
–Razia, young woman of Shadhika
“Just as a boat cannot cross the river by being afraid of waves, people who work hard will never be defeated.”
– Pooja, Shadhika Scholar
What is the Groundswell?
/groun(d) swell/
noun
1. A build-up of opinion or feeling in a large section of the population.
2. A large or extensive swell of the ocean caused by a distant gale or seismic disturbance.
We believe the Groundswell starts when a young woman is empowered to make her own decisions, choose her own life, and stand up for her rights. When she is empowered, she passes it on to those around her, creating a ripple effect in the lives of other girls, their families, and their communities. For every 1 young woman Shadhika supports, she empowers, on average, at least 112 others. To be strong. To be powerful. To be change. Together they are creating a groundswell of change across India.
Components of the Groundswell
On average, every young woman who receives a scholarship helps 112 more escape child marriage, access education, and increase her freedom of mobility.
Supports for Success
We provide grants to local, women-led nonprofits to carry out after-school programming for girls from 10 to 18. As part of this program, girls learn about their rights and carry out community projects to advance their rights. They also receive educational support to help them stay in school until Class 12 and escape early, forced marriage.
Shadhika Scholars
Shadhika provides college and vocational scholarships to young women who have demonstrated leadership on girls’ rights issues under our Supports for Success program. In addition to full tuition support, recipients receive English tutoring, computer classes, a laptop, and job readiness training. As part of the scholarship, recipients carry out a community project to advance girls’ rights during their school year.
Join the Groundswell
The young women we support are leading a groundswell of change in India. We need you to join the groundswell. Your year-end gift builds the capacity of our organization to better support local solutions to gender inequity across India.
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