The Vriddhi Foundation empowers young woman in India to access higher education, overcome gender-based barriers, increase her socioeconomic status, contribute to the workforce, and benefit her communities.
वृद्धि - vriddhi - growth
2023 celebration of Holi with some the girls in the Salarpur village in a local home.
The Vriddhi Foundation is an attempt to help young girls of the community access Higher Education. It is their growth and learning that is often held back due to various familial and societal issues. The deterring circumstances may range from a lack of funds in the family, to priority being given to their male counterparts. The Vriddhi Foundation aims to empower the next generations of girls to grow into their full potentials by way of formal education.
Chetna Kalwani, co-founder, currently working in New Delhi. She holds her Masters Degree in Education and is a social worker. She acts as a bridge for the young women as someone who has navigated through the Higher Education system herself. She will help the girls map a path forward and supports them through the process of preparation as well as admissions. She is an irreplaceable part of this non-profit.
Francesca Gold, co-founder, simply acts as a conduit connecting a need and desire for education with ample funding and resources. She lived in India off & on between 2017 and 2019, and visited again in 2023. During her time there, she made many genuine and heartfelt connections with individuals, families, and communities. It was in the city of Varanasi that she found a community she is dedicated to give back to and supporting.
Chetna and Francesca met in 2017 when they were both working at the Rajghat Besant School in Varanasi, India.
The Vriddhi Foundation helps young women access Higher Education: hey are the ones who are often held back due to various familial and societal issues.
Ways to contribute
Buy ‘Ojai Yoga Wear’ Clothing
Organic, eco-friendly, sizes x-small to x-large. Great for lounging or wearing in the studio.
Attend a Fundraiser Class
We hold pop-up classes throughout the year.
Direct Donation
You may directly donate to our foundation. Please reach out for more information.
Suggest Something!
Have an idea? inspired? Let us know!
The Vriddhi Foundation supports the following –
Preparation
The fund will set up a library with books that will help the girls prepare and study for the Entrance tests that they need to qualify in order to get admission into the selected Universities. They will have to qualify the exams in order to access the fund which will take care of their tuition fee and all the study material that they will need as they pursue their Higher Education.
This library will be set up with all the books that the girls will need in order to prepare for the entrance tests and will be accessible to all those aspiring to appear for the entrance exams.
Admission
The Admission Process starts after the candidate qualifies for the Program they choose to pursue. The candidate goes for the Counseling process to the University to confirm their seat for their Admission.
This requires an Admission Fee that will be provided to the girls through the Fund.
Tuition Fee and Study Material
The girls will be guided to prepare for the Entrance Exams of various Government Funded Institutions in Varanasi . There are 3 universities in Varanasi that charge very low tuition fee and allow access to all study material required for the students in their libraries and have benefits such a subsidized meal rates and healthcare as well. Chetna will support and guide the girls through the process as well as help them while they are pursuing the program.
Followed by their Admission to the Program, the girls will be able to access the Fund for their Tuition fee and they will be given an allowance per semester so they can buy all the study material they need. They will be provided for and their Higher Education will be sponsored completely by the GEF. For special cases, we will also be providing allowance to the qualified candidates for their travel expenses to and fro. This will be decided on the basis of budget allocation and the candidate’s needs.
Village Ambassador
Karma Sahini
Karma is an incredible generous and sweet soul living in a village in which we fund some of the girls education. He is an actor and he plans to go to graduate school for Drama. During the day, he provides for his extended family through offering boat rides to tourists in the Ganges River. Without Karma, we wouldn’t have met Pragati…
Social Media Manager
Pragati Srivastava
This is my sister friend Pragati: she and I met in 2017 and have been in touch ever since. She’s a clothing designer, entrepreneur, painter, and more. She designed both of the outfits we are wearing and drew the mural (our logo) in the back. She gathered the girls in her village for our pilot year (2023) to take the entrance exams to see if they can apply for university. She helped name the foundation and creates social media content for us.
Thank you for your support.
More information coming soon.