Civic & Social Organization - New Delhi, Delhi, India
Dreams make the world go around. They inspire change. Igniting hopes and aspirations, they motivate our struggle and efforts toward a ‘desired' life. But not everyone can dream big. Almost 2 out of 3 homes in India earn less than 25% of all income. Children in these households dream as little as they see, with no one to tell them what to do about their hopes, aspirations and future. With time, these aspirations fizzle out, leaving them incapable and sans-reason to utilize opportunities available to them. Unfortunately, therefore, where children wind up on the economic ladder is often not far from where they started. At Social Shapes Foundation, we are working to contest this trend. We use technology and exposure to new experiences to build and nurture aspirations of youth from low-income households, thus helping them improve their life outcomes. Through our research and on-ground programs, we measure and engage with the Aspirations Ecosystem of 10–24-year-olds from rural poor families. These programs focus on leveraging local resources to create an aspiring and stimulating ecosystem for children to grow up in. In building their capacity to aspire and future orientation, we support them to nurture their aspirations in the rapidly transforming and digitalizing 21st century world and gain the required skills to create pathways to a desired future.