November 2025
– Today, on World Children’s Day on behalf of Six Seconds and UNICEF, I visited Shaktii, an all-girls NGO in Kharghar, known for their after-school programme, to conduct a Pop Up festival and I don’t think I’ll forget the experience anytime soon!
– The moment I walked in, the girls, a brilliant, high spirited bunch from 8th to 10th grade, made us feel like we’d known them for years. They were so full of warmth, curiosity, and kindness that the space instantly felt like a little community!! We carried out this mental-health pop-up festival with activities like an “emotional walk,” the “wish chain,” and “blooming kindness,” and the girls poured their hearts into everything, from writing their wishes for themselves and the world, to expressing feelings and rights with honesty, and celebrating the people they love through tiny paper flowers
– As a third year psychology major student, watching them speak so openly about their as well as others’ emotions felt incredibly wholesome. It reminded me how important safe spaces are for youngsters, spaces where they’re heard, validated, and encouraged to grow. The chairperson Mrs. Vimala ma’am, as well as the mentors, Ms. Kalyani & Ms. Madhu ma’am, along with the Shaktii team were just as inspiring: patient, cooperative, genuinely invested, and unconditionally loving towards the girls, which played such an important role in holding the space together and making every activity feel safe and comfortable. Walking out, I felt lighter, softer, and honestly like a much better human, as the teaching process was mutual today, exactly the theme we hoped to bring alive, for which, I’m immensely grateful!
– Shaktii isn’t just an educational NGO; it’s a place where kindness is taught through example, confidence blooms quietly, and every girl is made to believe that her voice matters, and I experienced that feeling today!!
Raashi Jain, TYBA Psychology Major, St. Xaviers College
