IIT Delhi Grad Helps Rural Women Get Jobs

Surabhi Yadav empowers rural women in Himachal Pradesh with the basic skills required to get jobs through her NGO Sajhe Sapne.

Surabi Yadav recalls that her parents constantly reinforced the importance of education even when she was pursuing a second master’s degree. They would often ask her, “What is the use of your education if it is of no use to the village?”

This prompted the 31-year-old to launch an NGO that aims to prepare rural women for the job market. The graduate of the International Institute of Technology in Delhi saw that most of her female relatives had not studied at all.

Speaking to women from rural areas, and hearing their aspirations, I recognized the need to create something for them, to provide them with opportunities to harness their potential.

“We are losing their ideas, their worldviews and their creativity. There is this whole population that is desperate to learn and create and transform into something good. And you don’t even care about it. It’s everyone’s loss,” says Surabi.

She met some women who wanted to study but didn’t have an internet connection while doing COVID relief work in 2020. Then she started teaching five girls basic skills to help them get a job.

Subsequently, she launched Sajhe Sapne with a residential campus in Himachal Pradesh.

Here, girls are provided with comprehensive education and development to enter the workforce through a nine-month course. The girls here are called “sapnewalis” (dreamers), and these centers are called “sapne centres” (dream centres).

“These are centers where learning, laughter, creativity, wondering, and finding growth opportunities for yourself and others are commonplace,” Surabi adds.

She hopes to establish a “Sapna Center” in every village in the country.

Edited by Yoshita Rao