Zindagi Fellowship 2024
From L-R our Fellows: Diksha, Trinley, Rekha, Anshu
In June, we celebrated the graduation of the third cohort of the Zindagi Fellowship. This marked the culmination of a 4-month long journey with our Fellows of 2024 from Bihar, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra. During the 4 months of the Fellowship, the Fellows deep-dived into learning-
Business English
Digital and Financial Literacy
Basic Entrepreneurship training
Personal Development
Time Management
Along with the foundations of entrepreneurship, the instructors made sure to include the important intersectional concepts of gender and sexuality. There were also discussions about practical skills like creating boundaries among other themes.
The Fellows got the opportunity to gain on-ground perspectives from various mentors who by lending their expertise helped shape the Fellowship. Augustina Soreng, a Social Activist from Jharkhand, talked about violence and patriarchy, giving examples of her work at the grassroots. Prashansa Gurung, founder of the e-market platform Darjinc from Darjeeling, spoke about marketing and overcoming the challenges entrepreneurs face. She shared examples of her life at DarjInc and Jhola. Vikas Vishwas, a YouTuber and an entrepreneur had an interactive session with Fellows on GST and its importance for small businesses. We were also joined by Latasha Ukey, a business owner who spoke about the digital business space.
All this preparation by the Fellows came to fruition at the Zindagi Fellowship graduation, which is always filled with anticipation, presentations, and even a few happy tears. For this special occasion, our entire team had come together in Delhi.
On Day 1 of the graduation, the Fellows presented their business plans which they had worked so hard on for months. After their presentations, some of the Fellows showcased their products and services to the team and other Fellows for feedback. It was incredible to witness the immense growth of the Fellows as they applied what they had learned into practice.
There were two mentor sessions of which one was a hands-on workshop led by Anubhuti Rabha (our Communications Manager) on design and digital marketing and the other was led by Anukriti Aditya, who runs Knead Whisking, an online baking service in Delhi.
Day 2 started with a very informative and interactive session on Reproductive Health by our team member, Manisha Meshram. This was followed by the highlight of the graduation ceremony - the Fellows being presented with the Zindagi Fellowship completion certificates.
We are so proud of our Fellows Trinley, Anshu, Diksha, and Rekha for their remarkable performance throughout the Zindagi Fellowship, especially during their business plan presentations. We wish them all the best in their businesses and future endeavours. We look forward to continuing this journey of learning with other budding entrepreneurs from marginalized communities. Stay tuned for Zindagi Fellowship 2025!
