Kalyani Basu
I am Kalyani Basu and I am a Biology graduate. I joined Shaktii in December of 2016. My previous experience of Volunteering at The American International School, Frankfurt . motivated me to volunteer at Shaktii, where mentoring the underprivileged girls to believe in themselves and see them blossom into beautiful strong individuals has been the most rewarding experience. And now with this pandemic situation, switching to online classes is another learning experience that I am enjoying. So mentoring at Shaktii is not only satisfying to the soul, it is also a big learning experience for me.
Rupali Madan
My experience at Shaktii foundation has been more emotional than professional.
Through the years I have worked with the girls, I believe I have not only seen hope but also the future of successful talented women at the foundation.
Everytime I interact with the girls , I can connect myself to them emotionally and the fact that they are so dedicated towards growing and grooming themselves encourages me to guide them even more throughout their journey with me.
When I saw the urge to learn in their eyes is when I decided that I would do everything in my best possible ways in moulding them into women with a strong will power and mental strength.
Every interaction of mine has been based on the reality of life and how survival by keeping our dignity and self respect is the only solution to sustain in the outer world.
Priti Singh Roy
I have been associated with SHAKTII for the last 5 years, since it’s inception. Today, Shaktii has grown in scope and reach with a focus on high quality, low cost, and replicable interventions which addresses the lapses in the education system. With a mission of EDUCATE, EMPOWER, EDIFY, SHAKTII has addressed several issues. Their programs focus on education, vocational training, technology.
In the last 5 years I have seen girls getting metamorphosed from tiny caterpillars to beautiful butterflies with their wings spread out to face the world with their beauty, charm, intelligence and a go getter attitude.
Aparna Saxena
Aparna Saxena has been a constant supporter of Shaktii. She was the first major donor who provided Shaktii in the initial years with stationery, library books and art materials. In 2018, she sponsored the scholarships for 19 girls. She has been a true contributor in spite of being based in Jakarta and has not let distance be a hurdle in her effort to enable the dreams of young girls at Shaktii. She is a dependable and a compassionate person, we are blessed to have her as a part of our organization.
Dr. Shubhangi Hinge
I have been associated with Shaktii for last 4 years as a mentor. Shaktii has a mission to educate holistically. Traditional methods to teach science were replaced with project based methods.The best part is girls are encouraged to take responsibilities. Healthy competition amongst them has helped to upgrade their skills. As a mentor every challenge at Shaktii provides opportunity to improve myself.
Lakshmi Ravindran
I have been associated with Shaktii for 5 years now. While I have been lucky to have grown up in a household, where education or its quality was not differentiated based on gender, there are many girls born in under privileged houses where sending them to school is considered a luxury. When I met Vimala Aunty, I could relate to her belief that girls do not drop out of school or stop education, if you give them support and guidance, in their most crucial years. Shaktii, was born out of this belief and it was something I wanted to be a part of. I am an ex-banker and now a fintech professional. I love being a mentor behind the scenes. I am extremely glad to be doing my bit for Shaktii to grow and create an impact in the lives of many girls. Every bit makes a difference and I will always be part of Shaktii's journey in whichever way I can.
Aparna Muralidharan
I have been involved in mentoring the girls of SHAKTII for the past few years. The girls and I have read poetry together, told stories, given speeches and played many word games. My goal has always been to build their confidence in reading, writing and speaking in English. This has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life. The girls of SHAKTII have taught me resilience, enthusiasm and an undying spirit to learn. The mentors of SHAKTII have taught me that anything is possible.
Shruti Ganapathy
The girls at Shaktii have been a joy to teach. As first generational school goers, each one of them comes with their own set of challenges. And yet they show their strength and resilience by taking it all in their stride. They smile when I correct them, laugh when we learn and glow when they’ve finally figured it out. I might be teaching them English but what I’ve learnt from them is life. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.
Asha Subramaniam
Asha is a gold medalist in Hindustani classical music from the University of Delhi. She ia performing artist having performed in various cities like Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai and has an experience of over 20 years.
She is a graded artist in All India Radio. She has been invited as an examiner for various music examinations at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, and has also judged many music competitions and trained many prospective singers for various reality shows
such as Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa etc. She has performed at shows at Swami Sukhbodananda Discourse, ISKON Mumbai where she was felicitated by Bhajan Samrat Padmashri Anup Jalota.
Presently, Asha is working as a coordinator, senior faculty and business development executive with Shankar Mahadevan Academy where she is imparting knowledge to prospective students in the field of music.