Project
Udaan - Mentorship & Career Incubator
The story behind Project Udaan is to empower young girls from an underprivileged background in a college setting. My belief in this project is that true empowerment comes from awareness, confidence and opportunity.
Goal
The goal is to create a instill of independence and self confidence, equipping the students with a medium to dream and create a better future for themselves and those around them.
The entire project is divided into five sessions, each of a one hour duration. In the sessions, we engage students in conversations about varying topics, these include - meaning and types of empowerment, their legal and social rights, importance of being active members of the working force.
About
The program has practical skill building elements - resume building, oratory training sessions, personality development, and career preparation - with discussions that truly encourage their growth and personal development.
One of the defining features of this project is the placement cell, it connects the girls in the project with employment opportunities and a mentorship network. It is a self sustaining model that continues to open doors for them even after the sessions. It also includes a Self Help Group. I started this project at 'Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya', Sikandarput, District- Shamli.
There are so many young minds out there waiting for opportunities to learn and empower themselves. Watching videos together and discussing about their lives showed me how small actions can lead to lasting impacts.
For me, this initiative is truly personal. It's not just about preparing them for jobs - it's about contributing to their lives and enhancing their confidence and capabilities to the next level. I love to think of this idea as a chain reaction - as one girl gets impacted by this project, she impacts someone else in the same way.
Please find all of Project Udaan's latest news and stories below. I keep this space updated with the most recent events and milestones!
Launching Vidya Library!
Launching Vidya Library - A library for 800+ girls!
Today was one of the most meaningful days of my journey with Vidya Library. After weeks of planning, fundraising, collecting books, and setting up the space, we finally launched the first-ever library at Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Unn (Shamli) — a college with over 800 girls that had never had a library before.
The girls and I shelved the books together, but the real moment of pride was watching the girls themselves cut the ribbon, symbolizing that this space truly belongs to them.
We then formed a Student Council for the library, designed to be both democratic and representative. Each girl elected to the council took on a role — from coordinator to book keeper to activity lead to resource officer — ensuring that Vidya will be run by students, for students. This marks a continuous legacy for Vidya.
We held their training and orientation session for the newly formed Student Council, where we discussed how to manage the library, plan weekly sessions, and make reading a community activity.
What struck me most was their eagerness to take ownership — their questions, their ideas, their excitement at being custodians of knowledge.
We also spent time reflecting on the importance of literacy — not just as the ability to read and write, but as the foundation of critical thinking, self-expression, and dreaming bigger futures. In their words, literacy became a tool of courage and empowerment.
This library is the result of a journey that began with a fundraiser at Noida Golf Course, where we raised ₹1,05,111. Those funds allowed me to gather books, resources, design and fix up the space, and finally bring Vidya to life.
But this is only the beginning. The future vision of Vidya goes beyond physical shelves: our objective is expanding the horizons of Vidya towards becoming a digital library through access to e-books, online resources, and virtual discussions. The goal is to integrate technology so that students not only learn through books but also build digital literacy skills that connect them to a wider world of opportunities. In today’s world, digital libraries are an important key to open the world of education to all.
As I looked around at the girls signing the pledge wall, smiling with their first borrowed books, and stepping into a space they could finally call their own, I realized — Vidya is not just a library. It is a living, evolving space of learning, growth, and empowerment.
SHG Udaan!
I feel glad to share that today marked the official launching of Udaan Self Help Group (SHG) in association with the U.P. State Rural Livelihood Mission at Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Unn, District Shamli.
The inauguration was joined by the Project Director of Rural Livelihood mission and Sub Divisional Magistrate, whose presence contributed meaning to the occasion. What made today even more meaningful, however, was the opportunity to have meaningful discussions with them about:
• How SHG functions - from group savings to micro-finance and a democratic structure
• The importance of SHGs - fostering financial independence, sense of confidence, and a safe support system for women.
• Udaan’s potential - a sanctuary where ambitions turn into plans, and women achieve both a greater voice and agency.
We also sat together in the symbolic circle of an SHG, this circle is a representation of equality of all members and collective responsibilty. In that moment, I felt that Udaan is the start of a journey built on discussion and knowledge. This journey will spark transformations in the future.
I was very moved by the girls' gesture of thanking me with flowers. Their touching words reminded me that empowerment is about representation and hope.
Udaan will serve as a medium of growth, one where women can collectively save, invest, dream and shape their future.
I look forward to each of them shaping their dreams into reality !
Udaan - Mentorship & Career Incubator
Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya,
Unn, District Shamli
Fundraising for Project Vidya
On August 30, I had the opportunity to organize a fundraiser at Noida Golf Course to raise funds for building the first-ever library at Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Unn(Shamli).
This fundraising event, which took me more than a month of planning and execution to stitch various things together, was truly a beautiful experience. I feel excited to announce that we have successfully raised
₹1,05,111 /-and the clock is ticking!
The vision of this library, which we plan on calling ‘Vidya’, goes beyond the idea of just books. Vidya is a Sanskrit word which means knowledge, wisdom, and learning - that is the kind of space I hope to create for the young girls at Mahavidyalaya. It will be an environment where these young girls can learn through reading and exploration, shaping their future one step at a time.
Since the launch of project ‘Udaan’ (Mentorship and Career Incubator), I have noticed that the college has over 800+ young girls, yet not a single library since its inception. This absence of basic tools towards learning left them without a designated space for realizing their growth.
This is why Vidya matters. The essence of Vidya goes beyond shelves and books, it will be a place where thoughts find strength in knowledge, where ambitions grow, and where dreams will flourish. It will be a symbol of opportunity and empowerment not only for the girls at the college, but also for those all around.
This achievement belongs to everyone who believed in Udaan and its potential to help young women through knowledge.
A special thanks to all our contributors and supporters for their generosity and support. These contributions will help mould these ideas into a reality.
The journey of Udaan continues with growth, guidance, and now, Vidya. With each step, we move closer to our vision of a world where every girl has the tools she deserves to truly shine!
Voicing Strength: Planting the Seeds for Career Growth
Udaan – Mentorship & Career Incubator continues to be a journey rooted deeply in my heart. The sessions were about strengthening the voices and confidence of young girls who are ready to carve their own paths.
We focused on personality development, communication skills, and how to present yourself to the world—starting with something as simple yet powerful as a self-introduction. We then moved into the fundamentals of CV building, where the girls began creating their own CVs, planting the first seeds of professional identity and learning how to express their strengths on paper.
A major milestone today was the launch of our Career Cell in collaboration with the Skill India Movement—a space where learning, opportunity, and aspiration will meet. It will serve as a constant resource for the girls to grow their skills, explore careers, and support each other.
We also introduced the idea of forming an SHG (Self-Help Group) soon—one that will bring financial independence, teamwork, and real-world entrepreneurship to the forefront.
Watching these young women absorb, question, and reflect today reminded me why Udaan exists. One conversation, one idea, one brave girl at a time—we’re building something that will last far beyond these sessions.
Here’s to wings that grow stronger with every step!
Udaan - Mentorship & Career Incubator
Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Sikandarpur, District Shamli
Branches of Empowerment: From Thought to Action
This session was designed to go beyond the surface of the word “empowerment.” We started the session by watching a documentary on women’s rights, which led to deep conversations around what it truly means to feel empowered — emotionally, economically, socially, and legally.
Through our session, we worked on topics of empowerment, growth, resilience and community leadership. There are so many young minds out there waiting for opportunities to learn and empower themselves.
A tree plantation ceremony to represent growth and sustainability along with creating our 'Wall of Power' showed me how small actions can lead to lasting impacts.
This is just the beginning, seeing the spark in each one of the girls I worked with shows me why this initiative truly matters. I look forward to building this journey, one step at a time.
Udaan - Mentorship & Career Incubator
Maa Saraswati Balika Mahavidyalaya, Sikandarpur, District Shamli
