Esther Foundation focuses on training women on skills needed to take on a job after graduation

The need to have a dedicated day (26th of November) to be observed as 'International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women' is a reminder that the safety and wellbeing of women at a global level is far from secure. India registered 31,677 cases of rape in 2021, an average 86 daily, according to the latest government report on crimes in the country. In most cases, women from vulnerable sections of the society are victims of such violence and there is an impending need to empower these women to become independent.

Esther is a non-profit startup, founded by Ravali and Agnetha( a Stanford MBA graduate), in 2021, with a vision to enable young adult women from marginalized communities in India. The objective is to help them develop an active voice in choices related to their aspirations and lives and the support they need to launch their careers after graduating from college.

Through their fellowship program, Esther focuses on training final year women students on skills needed to take on a job after graduation such as creating resumes, preparing for interviews, creating LinkedIn profiles, etc. They also focus on soft skills like communication and confidence building by giving them access to expert mentors and providing an opportunity to work on real-world projects. The first batch with 100+ college women have been able to use what they learned to find jobs in TCS, Wipro, Accenture, and other companies.

Esther has so far completed 3 fellowship programs in 2021 with 40 women, and a fellowship program in 2022 with 100+ women from marginalized communities. To meet the financial requirements for running the fellowship programs, Esther has set up a fundraising campaign on Milaap, India's most trusted crowdfunding platform. The fundraiser on Milaap has raised more than INR 5.5 lakhs with donations coming in from India and abroad. With the funds raised, Esther hopes to onboard and run the program with 200 women from small towns and villages across South India, over the next year. Each student's costs starting from their final year of college to becoming career-ready is 7,500 INR. The cost includes in-person and online workshops on career readiness tools and resources, mentorship, and project experience.