“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
This is the driving force for an initiative led by two passionate teenagers- Disha Panda and Haneen Farid, who have at many times been subjected to the cruelty of society simply because they are girls. But, little did they know, all this time later that they would become two teenagers who would bring about change in the lives of 44 girls; teenagers who would present at the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the United Nations.
In February 2020, an UN-accredited non-profit organization called 1M1B, i.e., 1 Million for 1 Billion came to their school, DPS Bangalore North, and held a session to introduce them to the 1M1B Future Leaders program. This program discovers and nurtures the world’s most promising leaders by providing more clarity over their purpose using a framework before turning them into an actionable project aligned with the UN SDGs.
Disha and Haneen realized that this is the one opportunity they would have to add meaning to their lives and the lives of many other girls. Hence, they signed up for the program in a heartbeat, and that is how Project Arambha came to be.
Disha and Haneen are among those chosen from over 120 students to join the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit, 2021, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
At school, Haneen is heavily involved in debates and public speaking. She aspires to study Political Science and join politics. She has faced pushback and advice that politics is not for girls. Haneen is strong in her beliefs and continues to push forward, but she realized that not every girl has the opportunity or strength to pursue her dreams. What she wants to do through Project Arambha is to invest hope in girls her age by not only providing emotional support but also financial support for their education and career aspirations.
Disha, on the other hand, comes from a family where education is regarded as the greatest gift one can have. She has always been told to be grateful for her education and make it her first priority. While it’s easy for her to access this education, it’s not so easy for many girls out there who suffer the loss of financial support. The fact that education is a privilege for some girls seems disturbing to her, and it’s difficult to digest. That is why she decided to work towards the cause of gender equality in higher education.
This young project is Project Arambha, which means “beginning” in Kannada.
As the name proudly parades the purpose of this project, Team Arambha strives to educate underprivileged college girls in India and secure their future. They collaboratively raised about INR 15 lakh towards the college fees of girls at risk of drop out amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Funds raised are utilized to support the college fees of 44 underprivileged students at Sparsha Trust, Bangalore, and the Radiant Life Charitable Trust, Byrathi, Karnataka, for a duration of three years.
They have conducted three fundraisers, one of which is ongoing and have tried to gain corporate sponsors as well. In 2020, the Himalaya Drug Company was kind enough to sponsor precisely 14 Arambha girls for a total of three academic years. Disha and Haneen continue to look for corporate sponsors and donors for these girls.
The girls who are being supported here are former child labourers, child abuse victims, and homeless children. Although, there are some girls who have come from low-income families, where the parents work as security guards, auto drivers, and carpenters.
“During Covid, our financial troubles were getting worse. My sisters and I were planning to discontinue our studies. We could not believe that we would be able to complete our education. Project Arambha’s scholarships give girls the gift of education and the power to fulfil their dreams,” says Anitha P, a 20-year-old beneficiary and aspiring air hostess.
“Project Arambha has supported me in a lot of ways. The online career guidance sessions not only gave me clarity on my aim in life but also helped me understand how to achieve my ambition. The knowledge and direction I received from the seminars were valuable; they set me up on the right path to my goals. It’s hope for me,” says Seemitha P, a II PUC student and aspiring IPS officer.
The rest of the girls dream of becoming chartered accountants, paramedical officers, dancers, and even photojournalists!
Disha and Haneen are trying to turn the girls’ dreams into reality through a specialised career programme, which involves various informative webinars on resume writing, job interviews, LinkedIn profiles, and goal-setting- all with the aim of equipping these bright young girls with the necessary skills to successfully walk on the college and career paths they choose for themselves. These webinars are conducted by some of the leading career coaches in India such as Debeshi Chakraborty, Parul Siddiqui, and a few other volunteers from the corporate world.
The biggest challenge has been meeting their fundraising requirements. Even after raising about INR 15 lakh, they still need to raise INR 5 lakh to support 30 girls for the current academic year. They have been hoping to acquire another corporate sponsorship to meet this required amount. Hence, Disha and Haneen have been seemingly chasing corporates for the past few months in an effort to convince them to contribute. All said and done, the corporate chase has only improved their proposals, pitches, and professionalism. That has helped them learn a lot.
And, it doesn’t end there. The ultimate goal of Project Arambha is to educate and support the dreams of 300 underprivileged girls in India. They want their girls to break the glass ceiling in their interest fields, and have nothing come in the way of them and their dreams!
Written by Sania Menon and Haneen Farid