IGNITE HER POWER
A Movement to Give Young Girls
Roots to Anchor, and Wings to Soar
You can contribute in any of the following ways:
1. Apply to become a mentor with us.
2. Offer financial sponsorship to our girls.
3. Become an ally, helping us achieve our mission.
Our Mission
To empower girls in India who have completed Class 10, and demonstrate commitment, drive and potential, to pursue a higher education, fulfil their aspirations, and create a secure and prosperous future - for themselves, and their families.
You can contribute in any of the following ways:
1. Apply to become a mentor with us.
2. Offer financial sponsorship to our girls.
3. Become an ally, helping us achieve our mission.
The Program
Small Group Coaching and Arts and/ or Sports-based sessions to build self-confidence, shed limiting beliefs and nurture dreams
One-on-one Mentoring sessions for career and life goals
One-on-one Mentoring sessions for career and life goals
Financial Scholarships for higher education - fees and related resources
Partner NGOs
Ashraya Initiative for Children, Pune
St. Catherine of Siena School and Orphanage (Welfare Society for Destitute Children), Mumbai
Testimonials
Aarti Mahadevan
Founder - Governance Counts, Co-founder - 100 Women on Boards initiative
“This initiative is important to build bridges that will empower both the mentor and the mentee, in building equity and collaboration. I think for me this is an opportunity to rediscover myself, to stretch, learn more, and listen better, as I start to share what I can with someone who could gain new perspectives, as will I in that process. I love human beings and if this can enable me to meet more people, nothing like it!”
Uma Nair
Passionate Marketeer, Food & Culture Aficionado
“In India, with stark income and social inequality, a commonly held belief is that a ‘good education’ leading to a ‘good job’ is a route for upward mobility. But the missing link, the invisible privilege and network is unavailable & inaccessible to students from an underprivileged background, more so girls. This is where ‘Ignite Her Power’ can make a difference. While the scholarship program will help retain bright young women within the education system, true power will be unlocked through the mentoring program. It has a long term vision and stake in the success of these young women. I hope to see long-lasting, tangible outcomes and success stories within an ever growing population of young mentees. I also look forward to building meaningful relationships, and feeling the joy & satisfaction of being a part of this journey.”
Deepika Mahajan
Leadership Development Consultant, Accredited Coach & Assessor
“Ignite Her Power provides space for the children to really understand what are their strengths and areas of interest, with guidance from a mentor. I believe that for true potential to be unlocked, one needs clarity and confidence, and the program would build these. As a mentor, I look forward to learning from the younger generation about their interests and perspectives, understanding the barriers faced by the program participants and supporting them to move forward."
The Impact
We are selecting 10 girls into the program for 2025-26. Focus is on laying a solid foundation for the program, and establishing clear processes and impact metrics.
Our goal is to impact the lives of at least 100 girls, in the next 7 years, and then scale further from there. For this we will progressively expand the pool of mentors and donors.
We strive to continuously learn from experience, and strengthen the program, its scale and depth of impact over our lifetime, and create a legacy for our next generation to carry forward.
Our Approach
Interested girls who have completed, or are presently in Class 10, apply for the program through our partner NGOs
Using our defined process and criteria for selection, we choose deserving participants each year
We assign a mentor to each selected girl, aligned to her needs and aspirations.
The mentors enable each girl to articulate her life & career goals, and to create a plan for her higher education in line with the goals
We conduct small group coaching and arts and/ or sports-based sessions, to create strong roots (of self belief, confidence, clarity and courage) for the girls, helping them to shed self limiting beliefs, and nurture their dreams
The mentors provide ongoing support through monthly conversations with the girls.
In discussion with the mentors and partner NGOs, we estimate the costs for the higher education plan of each girl, and raise funds for financial scholarships through our personal corpus, crowd funding, and enrolling other donors