India’s youth to mentor India’s under resourced children
Trishya Screwvala kick starts a unique initiative – The Lighthouse Project for an India empowered
This project will see college students/ working professionals connect with under privileged
children, under the umbrella of Trishya’s not-for-profit organization- Raindancer Over the next few years, The Lighthouse Project aims to connect 1000 college students and working professionals with 1000 children from under resourced communities.
Up until now, mentoring and volunteering have not seen their true potential in India. In order to address this dire need gap, Trishya Screwvala – daughter of social entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, has launched ‘The Lighthouse Project’ an initiative under her NGO Raindancer that aims to provide a structured, focused and impact driven volunteering program in the country.
The Lighthouse Project, a first-of-its-kind mentoring program in India will pair college students and working professionals with children from under resourced communities. Built on the need for creating reliable adult role models for young children, the mentors will help these children develop critical life skills, while exposing them to a world beyond their own.
The launch of the project was supported by celebrities and noted public figures such as Farhan Akhtar and Nandini Sardesai, who deliberated on how urban Indian youngsters need to be inspired and mobilized in order to actively contribute towards positive social impact
At the press conference today, Trishya Screwvala, Founder, Raindancer said “There are numerous mentoring platforms that have proven to be incredibly successful across the world, but in India, mentoring is still a very under-utilized development tool. While we have clearly defined mentee growth areas and a curriculum designed by experts, our focus is equally on providing our mentors with the exposure and opportunity to develop into socially active citizens. We are attempting to make the process of volunteering easy, fun, rewarding and incentivized”.
The Lighthouse Project has taken several security measures to ensure safety of the mentees at all
times, including an automated SMS check-in and check out system. At the same time, they have given fun perks to the mentors to keep them energized, tying up with youth brands like The Blue Frog, Pizza Express, The Lazy Dog amongst others to provide participating mentors with rewards and discounts for the duration of the programme. It is a win-win situation for both Commenting on the occasion, Farhan Akhtar added ““Children are impressionable and willing to learn and they need someone to look up to. Be it their parents, teachers or a role-model, they require an unwavering support system. The Lighthouse initiative addresses the very need in children to find a confidante, a mentor to learn and become beautiful human beings. Congratulations to Trishya and Raindancer for such a fabulous initiative!” The Lighthouse Project is committed towards fostering lasting relationships between young urban India and children from underprivileged communities, which they believe will create a permanent positive change in the lives of both the mentors and the mentees.
How does Lighthouse Project work?
College students/working professionals can apply on www.lighthouseproject.in
Mentors will undergo a 3 hour training session post which they will be introduced to the respective mentees.
The program is spread over 8 months where the pairs will meet in designated groups of 6 for a minimum of 4 hours per month.
Mentors can take the mentees to any of the places mentioned in the approved centers.
Assessments will be conducted at the end of the program to measure mentee growth in key areas.
About Raindancer:
Raindancer is a not- for-profit that seeks to build social awareness among youngsters while simultaneously creating platforms for sustained volunteerism. Our vision is to inspire and mobilize urban Indian youngsters to actively contribute towards positive social impact, thereby enabling inclusive growth.
Raindancer is a division of the Swades foundation, which aims to empower rural communities through 360- degree development across water & sanitation, agriculture & livelihood, education & health.
