Meet Sarvam Shakti Foundation, a unique NGO with a heart and a positive difference , that believes in handholding girls from less privileged backgrounds and bringing them up like one’s own children. With a presence in three Indian states and in the cities of Gurugram, Bangalore and Delhi, this Foundation is dedicated to empowering young girls from marginalized backgrounds through education, healthcare, and skill training. Sarvam envisions an India where every girl from an under- privileged and marginalized background is empowered to lead a life of holistic well-being through access to quality education, joyful skills of arts and yoga, moral life values and wholesome nutrition.
With one key focus on imparting Indian classical dance skills to the young adolescent girls, the Foundation also aims to preserve and promote country’s rich cultural heritage at the grassroots level and the world stage. Their dance troupes have performed at several international forums in Europe under global cultural exchange program, where the Shakti girls have showcased their talent overseas, besides being invited for performances in India, at corporate events, government cultural/official functions, social/community platforms, resident associations, schools/institutions etc. The stage performances have worked wonders for the young girls by inculcating a sense of responsible leadership, and instilling confidence in them, besides rendering creative abilities to sharpen their art skills and become a trainer to younger buddies.
The Foundation’s Chief Empowerment Officer, Mrs. Hemangi Bhatnagar, very dedicatedly and wholeheartedly immerses herself in well-being of each girl child. As she notes “Every girl in the Foundation, is like a daughter to her and is looked after as one’s own child.” Born from the passion of its Founder President, Mrs. Nehha Bhatnagar, a world class renowned classical dancer herself, Sarvam Shakti Foundation has soared new heights.
Starting ten years ago, with a small group of 20 girls learning dance over a period of six years, the tribe has increased to over 300 marginalized girls now in three states, who are being supported in world-class skill training and nutrition. Beyond classical and folk dance forms, other skills – yoga, computers/digital literacy, and spoken English are also being taught to the girls, while being provided with wholesome nutrition through Shakti Sanjeevani program and the Shakti elixir vegetable juice by the Foundation ! A visible difference can be seen in these young girls who brim with confidence and behavioral aspects, shaped in an overall rounded personality. It is heartening to see such young confident girls ready to take on the world and become successful role models of empowered girls for their peers, and other women in their own communities. As a result, many of them have excelled in their respective schools/colleges as class leaders/representatives, performing well in academics and leading extra-curricular activities. The senior girls who have been trained by the Foundation in last ten years, have been successfully placed and are embarking on different career paths, including becoming choreographers and classical dance trainers themselves.
Nurturing and developing young girls to become empowered women and thereby bringing a positive economic and social change in their families, communities and society, at large, is a massive noble mission and Sarvam Shakti Foundation, is a magnificent exemplary in this regard. It is a delight to invite corporates, institutions, international organizations, media and other organizations to join hands with the Foundation, in advancing the cause of girl child empowerment.
Contributed by : Aparna Mahajan, Board of Directors, Sarvam Shakti Foundation
