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Mother Teresa had said that being unwanted unloved and uncared for is a far greater poverty and a far greater hunger than that of the person who has nothing to eat. As social beings, we die without love- without social acceptance and acknowledgment of our presence. Shaktis of all ages and levels of learning have been performing in their government schools and have received so much recognition. Imagine PRINCIPALS/ HEADMISTRESSES addressing you by name in 5th grade or 7th grade or 10th. Just the simple fact that a girl is not a statistic anymore but is known for her identity through a skill she is excelling in is enough to boost confidence and self-worth which spills over into the thirst for learning in general. Hear first hand how students are becoming examples or role models in their schools and thereby encouraging so many others to learn skills. The overwhelming response we receive from Principals of various government schools really inspires us to continue enabling our Shaktis to be a light in others' lives. One Shakti = SO MANY SHAKTIS! Watch the gang of five share their story who performed Bharatanatyam today from Govt School CHAKARPUR, Haryana! Watch Aaina and Nibhas testimonial Educate a girl. Educate a community Unleash a girl. Unleash Shakti!

The top Gurus of India showcased their disciples at an event organized by the Indo-American Friendship Association, New Delhi and Sarvam Shaktis were invited as a special showcase for highlighting the cause of empowering the marginalized girl child. Shaktis were so good. Ambassador Surendra Kumar was so impressed - he has invited the girls to showcase their skills on 10th January at India International Centre Delhi at a University of Chicago event where dignitaries like the American Ambassador to India will also be present! The girls are SUPER excited. They were gushing on and on about how amazing it felt to share the stage with stalwarts and their disciples and that they couldnt believe they were given so much adulation love and respect for their talents! To empower Shaktis please consider supporting our work!

The association with Rotary Foundation looks back at the time, the Founder of Sarvam herself was a part of Rotary. Her rapport with the members was so splendid that they supported her cause and built a connection with Sarvam. They saw first hand the unique work Sarvam was doing in the field of education and under the amazing leadership of senior Rtn Pran Mehta, the support for Shaktis work really took off. He has his hands full with so much service and yet he ensures he takes out valuable time for Shaktis work. He has always appreciated Classical Arts and seeing the level of Skills the Shaktis learn, he is very satisfied by the initiative. Rtn Pran Mehta with Shaktis at the Gurgaon centre The Shaktis have participated and performed in many of their events and conferences which in turn gives the Shaktis much confidence and training in life skills. We are also grateful for the monthly remuneration Rtn.Pran Mehta provides to Shakti. He is such a gem of a person. He has also recently provided two amazing music speakers for our Gurgaon centre. Not only that, he has also enabled so many opportunities to the senior Shaktis including that of teaching as paid teachers in Rotary supported MCD Government schools! Read about that in our blog on the teaching done by Shaktis. We are so grateful for his support and for Rotarys constant support for our work. Shaktis with Rtn Pran Mehta, Spoken English vertical head Mrs Ritu Gulati, Shakti 'maasi' Nanda Karmalkar at an MCD school Educate a Girl. Educate a Community Unleash a Girl. UNLEASH SHAKT Provide a Stage for Shaktis!

Shaktis do monthly workshops on social emotional learning exercises where they laugh share breathe meditate and exercise their gratitude muscles!! They speak about incidents of kindness and compassion- they write lists of things they are grateful for- they discuss emotions- they showcase empathy- they learn to feel the emotions in their bodies. From Laughter Yoga which is their favourite (ofcourse!!), they also just learn to lie down in Yoga Nidra or deep Yogic sleep and meditate to connect deeper within themselves. Shaktis watching videos on Kindness (SEL framework of Emory)

“I saw these girls perform for an Independence Day programme and I was completely blown away by their talent. I think that Sarvam is giving them a holistic environment focused on health, hygiene and vocational training.I loved what the organisation does and I chose to be a part of this beautiful mission in a small way. I hope and wish to help the girls in whatever capacity I can. I wish to be associated with Sarvam in the long run and do whatever I can to help these beautiful girls. I haven’t planned the steps ahead but I would be happy to hear from you anytime you feel you need me to show up for the girls.” - Riddhi Deorah Riddhi Deorah Educating ourselves as parents is so important because traditional parenting based on observation is not enough to answer modern-day challenges. Riddhi Deorah is an entrepreneur, coach, and social media content creator. After graduating from Cambridge and London School of Economics, UK she founded a luxury apparel brand called Riddhi & Revika with its flagship store in New Delhi. Karma had a different plan for Riddhi and she got certified as a Parenting Expert & Life Coach. She then founded her company Easy Parenting Hub. Riddhi truly believes in the philosophy that the more we work on ourselves the lesser we need to work on our children. Riddhi understands parenting with love and affection- something which we try to do as best as we can at Shakti!! Riddhi Deorah is on a mission to help mothers feel more confident, creative, and courageous. In the span of the last 6-years, Riddhi’s contribution to the field of parenting has been immense. She has hosted parenting workshops for top corporates like Ernst & Young, Marsh, Walmart, KPMG, Citrix, Emerson, Nomura and F&S Global to name a few. She has hosted 200+ virtual parenting workshops and done 250+ one on one calls with mothers to get a deeper insight into different parenting challenges. She has a following of 297k on her Instagram page @Riddhi_Deorah and has worked with more than 250 brands like Nestle, Godrej, Dyson, HP, Whirlpool, Flipkart, Firstcry, Aveeno Baby, etc. She has impacted over 300k parents across different social media platforms and recently also launched her podcast on parenting, called the Powerful Parent Podcast by Riddhi Deorah. Riddhi has interacted with eminent personalities in the parenting space such as NY Times Bestselling author, Tina Payne Bryson, Judy Aryall, Mansi Zaveri, and Dr. Siggie Cohen to name a few, and has been interviewed by celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Soha Ali Khan. She has also been a panel speaker for several international summits. Under her company Easy Parenting Hub, Riddhi creates many digital and physical products for both parents and children. To know more about Riddhis work- please visit her website!

Such a wonderful way to invite us to be a part of your lives and for us to learn from you and you from us! Do involve Shakti as your next Corporate outreach initiative ---a workshop by our Shaktis for your staff-- some cultural/yogic learnings in a span of an hour? We say, Peace Peace Peace:) Thank you so much Mrs Varsha Baruah for spearheading this and also giving us a donation from the employees of Page! Hand gestures/facial expressions Women Empowerment showcase Teaching Bhangra! Teaching some Pranayama & light meditation Showcasing some Yoga asanas

Recently, Rinky TOPPED her entire class in her Applied Arts course at Delhi Governments Delhi Skill and Enterpreneurship University! She has also been elected as the Class Representative two times in a row. Read on to learn more about this super talented and empowered Shakti! " I learn to accept, appreciate and embrace who I am and where I am. I am blessed to have such a lovely family who supports me in developing my dreams and what I want to do.” These words are sure to make you feel the strength and power this girl posseses. Life may not have been very great but living it greatly is what makes it worthy. “Sarvam Shakti has helped me and my family in every aspect. They planted solar panel to give us electricity in our home, gave us health and hygienic products. My sister and I have been to Poland to represent the culture of India at BRAVE KIDS FESTIVAL 2015 from Sarvam. It paid for my Fine Arts classes. After spending so many years I learnt to smile more freely again. It taught me to be myself. It taught me to be me and only me. It taught me to be good version of myself not to be a perfect version. It taught me the meaning of oneness, to love myself. It gave me wings to fly high. It taught me to chin up in hard times and be happy.” “Hemangi maam and Nehha di have been supporting me in every aspect and phase of life.” Rinky in college with her easel Rinky shares a message for all future Shaktis for their career choices! A 21 year old Shakti, Rinky lives in Delhi's Kishangarh basti. The daughter of a mali (gardener) bhaiya and a homemaker mother, she was one of the top students in her school. She has received many awards and achievements in different fields during the course of the period. She also received a silver scholar badge for two consecutive years. She is studying Diploma in Applied Arts (fine art) at Delhi Government's Meerabai DSEU Maharani Bagh campus. All the material cost is sponsored by Sarvam Foundation. She is also working as a Junior Pencil Artist at Sunflowers Publications Pvt. Ltd. She is associated with Sarvam Foundation since 2015. Sarvam Foundation empowers girls to develop their skills and achieve their goals. She expresses her love for Sarvam and is very glad to be a part of it. For more of Rinky's work, do visit her Instagram profile She proudly talks about the love and respect she got from the Sarvam founders and their support that makes her able to express through the form of her art and how comforting it is to her. She takes inspiration from a Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and she also takes inspiration from real life experiences. She wishes to continue doing all the good work and live a fulfilling life. If you find this blog post meaningful, do support our unique work for girl child empowerment!

It opens at 6am and closes whenever the Shaktis wish to go home! The sacred temple of the Shaktis as they call it- Sarvam Space, or the Gurgaon centre is a refuge - a sacred space for our girls who come from the urban slum right behind it- Sikanderpur Ghosi. The wooden-sprung floor dance hall at Space & Computer centre The upper area at Space with a Library Upper area The terrace area which is used for outdoor activities Do visit this article to know more about SPACE! https://sarvamshakti.medium.com/sarvam-space-f53689cfa034 Every day, a group of young girls rush into the basement of a well furbished house in Gurgaon. They carry eager smiles on their faces and seem keento start their hustle-bustle for the day. Even in peak winter mornings these girls rush to the location earlier than usual and stay till the sun goes to rest. What is it that draws them to the place?Talking about the centre, all the girls carried a sense of serenity in their description of the place. While for one, it is equivalent to a temple- sacred and revered, for another it is a safe escape from the inequalities of everyday life. For all of them, it is a place of collective holistic growth. The centre is well equipped with everything the girls need to grow spiritually, physically and emotionally. They appreciate the wooden flooring, which helps them in their dance practices as opposed to the drawbacks of practicing on concrete or cement flooring. With large mirrors, they are able to perfect their moves and correct themselves, while also trying to hone coordination with peers. Learning during the pandemic was hard and the installed TVs came handy for the students, which they now use for movie screenings as well. The centre also has a library, where the girls are free to pick-up books and read in their free time and when they need help with homework. Very soon, they will also start computer lessons and are extremely excited for the same. For the girls, it is undoubtedly a home outside of home. They feel safe under the blanket of togetherness as a community and nurture each other as well. Apart from physical activities like yoga, the girls are also provided with nutritious juices and snacks including bananas which help them cleanse and nurture themselves inside out. They admire and look up to their teacher and educators. Several of the students consider Hemangi ma’am to be their role model figure and inspiration, and they aspire to grow into strong, educated, leading women lending a helping hand in society. The girls are also surrounded with Social-Emotional learning tools where they learn about gratitude, empathy, self-awareness and relationship skills. The walls of the centre are adorned with posters as well as cards and write-ups by the girls, where they express gratitude to Sarvam and pen down what the centre means to them; it is the hut of power- Shakti. Majority of the girls confessed that Sarvam, to them, is less like a school and more like a family where they grow together and grow as a whole. What they learn at the centre is not solely via instructors, but also through self-activities and interaction with peers. It is hence a centre, a home, a temple and a school all packed in one beautiful space. Consider supporting our work today!

A welcome message at our Gurgaon centre! She got us ready for our performance too! Shaktis had a showcase in Government School, Harsuru village where over 200 children from a similar demographic had been assembled by Rotary for watching Classical Arts in order to educate them further about it! Nehha Bhatnagar, Shakti Founder and former danseuse helped the 25 Shaktis get ready for their showcase! Enable more such outings for our children which builds immense capacity in them! OVER 100 cards were made for her by our hands! "Ofcourse we had to dance too so we choreographed this!!! We chose songs that we thought describe this moment. Vijay bhaiya and Beena didi helped us with video and edits!"- Anshika, a Shakti

The first member of Sarvam Shakti, Priyanka's story has been nothing short of extraordinary! The daughter of a houseboy and a homemaker, she has now travelled the world and India on her talents through Bharatanatyam. She is highly proficient in this art form and has recently joined the Municipal Corporation of Delhi government school for a part-time job teaching Bharatanatyam to children from a similar background as hers! Rotary Foundation under Rtn Pran Mehta made this possible. Priyanka gets paid Rs. 1250 an hour and along with her Shakti colleague Shweta, they make enough pocket money every month to fund their travel expenses for their college studies. Priyanka has joined a Diploma in Primary Education program by the Delhi Government as she sees herself in the future as a Primary school educator as well as a dance teacher in the evenings!! She claims that she was previously very coy and timid but as her relation with Sarvam grew, she have achieved new heights with her confidence level. She is grateful for the opportunities she gets from the foundation and says that the greatest achievement to her is the strength that she has got from being here. “It’s been a great journey here and it shall continue. IT IS SO GREAT to be able to take this knowledge forward to other children in my community!" She thanks Sarvam for giving her the wings to proper nutrition and life altogether. To enable more Shaktis to follow their passions, consider supporting us today!

CENTRE 1: Located in Mehrauli, the ‘Machhli Park’ is witness to a bunch of super-excited girls gathering multiple times a week, learning a plethora of art forms. CENTRE 2: CDR School in A Block Vasant Kunj The older Shaktis travel to this centre from their Kishangarh basti. Sarvam pays rent to the school for hiring the place which after school hours and the guard bhaiya on duty is a big fan of our work. The Shakti mothers accompany the children for safety. Watch this amazing video by some of the mothers and the purpose they feel from this project! Do consider supporting us today. We really do put our hearts into this unique work!

DID YOU KNOW- 98% of Sarvam Shaktis sit in one of the toughest postures in Yoga? The LOTUS POSE! Thats simply just the way they sit- even while watching a film at the centre or while listening to a guest workshop! Padmasana while watching a film! The reason we put music to the Yoga asanas is to keep the children more interested in the practice of intense asanas. When they learn the asanas, they do so without music. But we realized soon enough that many younger Shaktis fidget and attention takes time to build. Adding music to the practice made their interest deepen and then rhythmic yoga performance became a motivating factor for ALL Shaktis, even the highly distracted ones to take to the practice of Asanas! However, we only encourage practicing to music as a performance. Regular Yoga classes are as is supposed to be learnt- sukham sthiram asanam. In stillness and with joy is a posture an asana then! Its really wonderful to see after dance class practices are done, all younger Shaktis especially relax in Supta Padmasana- lying backwards in lotus pose! At one of our Delhi Centres