Kicking off Project Swadisha
Project Swadisha officially kick-started on 2nd March 2017 at SNDT University and aims to impact 15,000 female students by making them employable. It will be rolled out at Maharashtra’s SNDT University through work-readiness assessments, experiential training, mentorship, counselling and industry-connect. The implementation partners of the project are Wheebox, CII and Talerang.
The opening speech at the launch was given by Dr. Shashikala Wanjari – Vice Chancellor, SNDT Women’s University and Ms. Aafreen Siddiqui Sherwani – Maharashtra State Focal Point, UNDP. The opening event addressed a fundamental question that most students have these days – what is the right path for me? The kick-off was a huge success with a packed auditorium of close to 500 students and faculty members.
On entering the auditorium, all the girls were given copies of –
- A well prepared resume
- Colorful papers to make notes
- Postcards highlighting the process of taking an online test
Our Founder and CEO, Shveta Raina, commenced the event by asking the girls a few interactive questions. She then talked about what Talerang does and how it bridges the work-readiness gap in our country. This was followed by presenting statistics which talked about how much more responsible and self-aware women are, as compared to men. To demonstrate the importance of being self-aware, the girls were asked to make notes of their area of interest and skill tracks and introspect whether they were actually happy with what they are currently pursuing! Through this activity, a few girls were from an underprivileged background narrated their journey of stepping out of the comfort zone, overcoming difficulties and managing to run a business by seeking loans from public sector banks!
Shveta then talked about the importance of having an impactful one-page resume and how it is the first step toward getting your dream job! As the session came to an end, the girls were asked to write down their most prominent fear on a sheet of paper and then tear it off! The idea behind this activity is to shed your fears completely and reinforce the belief that anything you want to achieve is achievable! This helps you become more self-aware and confident about your goals.
During the closing, the girls were told about the benefits of enrolling for the mentorship program under Swadisha – Skill Sakshi – We received 67 on-the-spot entries for the same! All the girls were then asked to come on to the stage and click a Swadisha group photo with the entire Talerang team and Afreen! This was the best moment of the day!
We are excited to announce a collaboration with the United Nations Development Program! Project Swadisha aims to impact 15,000 female students at Maharashtra’s SNDT University through work-readiness assessments, experiential training, mentorship and counselling and industry-connect. We are glad to be associated with a path-breaking project such as Project स्वdisha and hope to set a precedent for future programs in this space and create history together!
