Save the Child Foundation Fellowship
The Save the Child Foundation Fellowship for Service in India is an immersive, 12-month volunteer service program matching young professionals with development organizations. Fellows work on scalable and sustainable development projects in the fields of education, health and wellbeing, water and sanitation, gender equality.
The Save the Child Foundation Fellowship is helping to shape the next generation of leaders committed to positive change while also strengthening marginalized communities in India, Nepal and Uganda. Through collaboration and capacity-building, Fellows, Save the Child and civil society leaders form dynamic partnerships to capacity-build, exchange knowledge and skills, and share a mutual passion for advancing social and economic development. Fellows serve on an annual basis with development organizations in India.
The Fellowship creates a community of socially engaged, global citizens dedicated to positive change. Fellows will apply their leadership in the areas of education, social entrepreneurship, technology, business, journalism, public health, human rights, and others. Together they represent a collective force for sustaining a long-term agenda dedicated towards change in primarily in India, Nepal. Uganda and USA. The Save the Child Fellowship provides a platform to develop the skills, resources, and network needed to become an inclusive and socially-minded change maker.
Fellows support Save the Chid partner organizations at a crucial moment of scalability by meeting their human resource and organizational needs through skills-sharing, training, and capacity-building. Responsibilities vary based on a Fellow’s skills, experience, and interests and will be paired with a project leader and supervisor at the partner organization.
Projects include program design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, graphic design, videography, data collection and visualization, developing digital content, event planning, qualitative and quantitative research, creative writing, curriculum design, fundraising, teaching, training teachers, community organizing, managing information systems, and marketing and communications, social emotional learning and healing.
Sandhya Nair (2021)
Save The Child Fellowship introduced me to a world which was beyond what I have experienced. Africa was a field trip which is very close to my heart. This journey taught me to be a human more than anything, we live in cities with all amenities and being so privileged we never realize how grateful we should be. This journey reminded me how much I have and how much I can give back to the community. This fellowship helped to grow in the field of understanding how NGOs work more specifically on the ground level, fundraising and collaborating.
The fellowship not only helped me to grow in various sectors I worked in, be it fundraising, on ground with kids, creating workshops etc. But it helped to grow as a human being. I learned that this journey is not about “fixing” people's life, but truly about acceptance and learning.I take back one thing with this fellowship journey is, ‘I am because you are!’
Taniya Singh (2021)
My name is Taniya, I am a licensed zumba instructor and the future of tomorrow. Most of you when you hear about Zumba the only thing that comes to your mind is zumba shapes your body and makes you look thin. But for me zumba is something more than that, though zumba I have learnt to accept and love my body and not just that zumba have given me the opportunity to live in the present moment.
I strongly believe that my story and zumba have the power to change lives. For the past four years I have been working at NGOs and marginalized communities and for two years I have been working with the Save the Child foundation as a fellowship.
Save the Child Foundation has given me opportunities to travel and work with marginalized communities, special needs kids, trafficked girls, kids from slums, people who live in forest, underprivileged families and kids, also Sex workers and daughter of sex workers.
Priyank Yadav ( 2021 )
Working with Save The Child Foundation, I realized that the world is full of opportunities and one of such opportunities that I was presented with was working with our partner organizations in Africa. This gave me on ground experience of how the situations are in Masaka, (Uganda) Africa. We met kids who have been suffering from HIV, while there were other kids whose parents passed away while battling HIV. These kids were not only in need of funds for education but they were in need of even basic things, like food, proper clothings, stationary supplies, sanitary pads, proper water supplies, and so on. Their struggle began right from fetching drinking water from miles to reaching school without proper shoes or not even having proper transport system, in that case kids would just walk to school again for miles.
The fellowship was a beautiful journey, where I could see the other side of the non profit organization, the working, the fundraising part, the part where we need to work along with our partner organizations, know more about the fund utilisations, see how can we broaden our reach and help different partner organizations to be self sustainable.
Sheetal Jain (2020)
Working with Save the Child Foundation in Nepal opened my eyes to how alike people's stories can be. During my time there, I interacted with many sex workers and their daughters, understood their perspectives and realized how closely their lives resonated with my own. Although they endured much hardship, I could see the determination in their eyes to work for the betterment of their community.
During our workshops, everyone was very open minded and enjoyed the sessions wholeheartedly. They were able to connect with my story and were able to speak freely about their own burdens. They did not blame the society around them but instead discussed steps on how they can change people's mindset towards sex workers. They understood, even at an older age, that they still have a lot to learn and talk about on these issues.
I am very grateful to have known these women over my time in Nepal and my biggest takeaway was that even though I have been through similar situations, I need to be stronger to face these challenges like these women and keep helping the people in my community to raise their quality of life.
Asmita Katti ( 2020 )
Hi everyone, I’m Asmita, one of the girls who came to Chicago in 2015 with Kranti's Lal Batti Express. After working for a couple years in India, both with sex workers in Delhi, housing rights in Mumbai, and special needs kids in Bangalore, I am finally returning to studies. This is because from 2020-2021, I was volunteering at Camphill School in Pennsylvania with special needs children. I really fell in love with the community, including the teachers, staff, and my colleagues. But most of all I fell in love with all 70 children, all of whom have different developmental disabilities.
I lived with them full time and helped with feeding, bathing, walking, and general caretaking for them. To be very honest, it's the hardest work I've ever done in my entire life and yet the most beautiful and rewarding. I realized I wanted to work with this population full time, so this August I enrolled in Camphill Academy's degree program for Special Needs Education. During the six months I had in between leaving the US as a volunteer and returning as a student.
Lavanya Gudelli ( 2022 )
Hello Everyone ,Iam Lavanya Gudelli From India.
Over the past few months, I've had the privilege of being a part of a team that is passionate about breaking taboos, promoting awareness, and providing support for menstrual health. It has been an eye-opening journey that has completely changed my perspective on this crucial aspect of women's lives. One of the most rewarding aspects of this Fellowship is the opportunity to empower individuals and communities. Through workshops and educational programs, we strive to educate both women and men about menstrual health, dismantling myths and misconceptions along the way.
Witnessing the transformation in people's attitudes and seeing the positive impact it has on their lives is truly inspiring. Over the past year, I've had the privilege of being part of a team dedicated to breaking barriers and providing support to women and girls in underserved communities. One of the biggest challenges we noticed was the lack of access to affordable and hygienic menstrual products.
I am incredibly grateful for this experience and the amazing team I get to work with. It's more than just a Fellowship; it's a mission that has touched my heart and soul. Together, we are creating a world where menstrual health and hygiene are no longer taboo subjects.
Reshma Shaikh ( 2023-2025 )
Reshma Shaikh is a 21 year old.girl who aspires to be a designer one day. She is full of life - loves to talk to people ,enjoys evening walks, knows how to fight for her / others rights, enjoys drawing/ sketching.
She has done diploma course in fashion designing from Zarapkar College .
She is at present interning with "Best Karma designs Pvt Ltd" and also plans to.finish higher school education (12th std) by 2023. Post that she wants.to go for an undergraduate degree in Fashion designing.
She is very clear on her goals and knows how.to.achieve them - be any hurdles along the way.
Her illness (HIV) hasn't stopped her from dreaming and going after her dreams.
Aarthi Suryavamshi ( 2023 )
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as a fellow with Save the Children Foundation. This experience has not only enriched my understanding of global challenges faced by children but has also strengthened my commitment to advocacy and change. I appreciate the support, guidance, and collaboration of my colleagues and mentors. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children, and I am honored to be part of such a vital mission, especially regarding menstrual health in the Vizag slums. Working on initiatives such as pad distribution has highlighted the importance of education and access to essential resources.
Additionally, my trip to Palaguttapalle in Tirupati to meet the incredible women creating sustainable cloth bags was truly inspiring. Their dedication to both sustainability and community empowerment is a testament to the positive change we can achieve together.
As part of our RUI initiative, our visit to Pochampalli to meet with talented weavers opened my eyes to the richness of local craftsmanship and the importance of supporting traditional artisans.
These experiences and memories will enhance my life for a lifetime.
Ooha Mahanthi (2025)
Hey there! I’m Ooha Mahanthi—a social activist and sustainability advocate dedicated to empowering women, Indigenous communities, and survivors of abuse. Through the Save the Child Foundation Fellowship, I’m working to create real change by making sure these communities have the support and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives with dignity.
I’m passionate about uplifting marginalized voices, helping women and children who have faced abuse, and preserving the traditions and knowledge of Indigenous communities. I believe in simple, sustainable solutions—like promoting slow fashion, zero-waste alternatives, and eco-friendly practices—that not only protect the planet but also help people build better futures. By teaching women skills like making sustainable products, we’re helping them become financially independent and more confident in their own abilities.
With Save the Child Foundation, I’m focused on making a real, lasting impact where it’s needed most. Every small effort counts, and together, we can create a world where people, communities, and nature grow and thrive.
