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Title: Call for Program Owners
“Divya had been living at a shelter home, going through day after day, accepting that maybe this is what life is going to be now… When she came to campus, scared and shy at first, she slowly dared to dream of a different tomorrow. Today, she’s working as a Barista at an artisanal roastery in Chennai, independent and free. We know we can support many such Divyas turn around their lives across many more domains! Let’s create these pathways together!”
This is a call for entrepreneurs, builders, and practitioners who want to create long-term skilling and income pathways with communities. Below are some streams that we believe can support women from difficult backgrounds to access dignified agential lives. If you’d like to explore owning these learning pathways, or build business cooperatives with students of these ventures,let’s work together to launch your idea into reality. If you have any other ideas for social good that you feel excited to dive into with us, let’s get in touch and explore!
Opportunity 1: School of Care
India’s care economy is expanding quickly as families seek reliable support for elderly care, pregnancy care, newborn care, and premium home services. Despite strong demand, the sector remains informal, inconsistent and largely understaffed. With structured training, women can enter dignified, stable roles that value empathy, patience, and quality companionship as active care.
Through the initiative, you can:
- Design specialised training pathways for elder care, pregnancy care, and infant care. Build a strong foundation in safety, empathy, communication, and professional etiquette.
- Develop pipelines for placements in elder-care agencies, maternity and newborn support roles, hospitals, recovery-care units, and in-home premium care services. Examples: full-time elderly companions, night-support caregivers, newborn-care aides, post-surgery recovery assistants.
- Enable micro-ventures such as women-led home-care collectives, specialised “newborn support teams,” postnatal at-home service units, or subscription-based elderly check-in services. Build simple models where small teams provide reliable, high-quality care to households.
This role needs someone who understands care as a profession and companionship as a core need — and can build a structured pathway around both.
Opportunity 2: School of Wellness & Fitness
Wellness, yoga, fitness, mindfulness, and nutrition, is one of India’s fastest-growing sectors. Studios, gyms, corporates, and communities all need trained practitioners, but certification is expensive and inaccessible to many who don’t have exposure and resources despite carrying the acumen for it. Women from difficult backgrounds, through professional training, could thrive at such roles and access dignified income sources.
Through the initiative, you can:
- Design practice-led routines across yoga, functional fitness, breathwork, meditation, and basic nutrition. Build discipline, technique, and the ability to lead safe beginner-friendly sessions. Create exposure through demos, observation, and community practice groups.
- Develop placement opportunities with gyms, yoga studios, community centres, housing societies, and corporate wellness programs. Examples: assistant yoga instructors, beginner fitness trainers, meditation facilitators, neighbourhood wellness coaches.
- Build pathways for micro-ventures such as home-based yoga groups, community fitness batches, workplace wellness sessions, YouTube/Instagram micro-influencer pages, or mobile “wellness on wheels” initiatives. Create models where women run consistent classes and earn directly.
This is ideal for someone who takes wellness seriously — both the discipline and the responsibility of teaching it to others.
Opportunity 3: School of Filmmaking & Content Creation
India’s digital economy needs creators. Photographers, videographers, editors, and storytellers are in high demand. Small businesses, NGOs, and startups constantly seek affordable, high-quality content. Access to equipment and real projects is limited for marginalised women, though many have strong visual instincts and a stronger story to tell. With hands-on training, they can enter a flexible, growing sector that values skill over formal degrees and can make even weaker voices heard.
Through the initiative, you can:
- Create hands-on learning in photography, videography, editing, scripting, interview techniques, and digital storytelling. Emphasise practical assignments, real shoots, and portfolio-building from day one.
- Build connections with NGOs, small businesses, creators, and production houses that need budget-friendly content. Examples: assistant videographers, editors for reels, behind-the-scenes shooters, event documentation support, social media content creators.
- Develop a women-led content studio offering photography packages, short video production, journalism projects, documentary assignments, or social media management for NGOs. Enable learners to take on freelance projects individually or as a collective.
This role suits someone who loves storytelling and wants to build a production ecosystem from the ground up, with learners who are hungry for their voices to be heard.
Opportunity 4: School of Civil Design
Have you ever seen or worked with a female mason? What do you think can be the possible reason? The construction and design ecosystem needs skilled hands but often women labourers are limited to unskilled work that barely pays. Carpentry, masonry, civil design etc is limited to male workers despite women having the same potential, if not more, that could allow them to earn significantly higher through training and access.
Through the initiative, you can:
- Teach practical skills in basic construction, masonry, carpentry, site measurements, materials handling, and simple planning. Focus on hands-on learning, safety, and quality workmanship.
- Open pathways in construction sites, small contractors, renovation projects, and local building teams. Roles include masonry assistants, site helpers, basic carpentry support, and construction documentation aides.
- Enable women-led micro-enterprises offering home renovation support, masonry teams, small-scale construction services, or community building projects. Focus on independent or team-based work delivering reliable, high-quality results.
This is for someone who enjoys the maker mindset and wants to open technical trades to women who’ve never asserted themselves in these spaces.
Who we’re looking for
You’ll fit well if you bring a mix of practical skill and grounded leadership:
You believe in people—unconditionally
You see potential where society sees problems. You know that with skills, self-belief, and opportunities, anyone can build a hopeful tomorrow. You know that working with women who’ve survived difficult circumstances requires patience, empathy, and an understanding that healing isn’t linear.
You have relevant expertise
You have relevant industry experience and expertise in the school you want to build. Or you’re passionate enough about this space to build from first principles.
You’re committed for the long haul
Minimum five years. You want to stay long enough to see your initiatives make a lasting impact.
You don’t need a classic startup or entrepreneurship background. You need clarity of craft, real commitment, and the ability to build patiently with people.
Note from Aarzoo (SoSC Founder)
“Founding the School of Second Chances needed courage, and I found it at NG when I was unsure of taking the leap. Now after 1 year and successful student placements, an upcoming student business venture, and new partnerships that allows for deeper work, I’m so glad I found this support system to build together with. Join us and let’s work together!
Get in touch to know more, share ideas, ask, discuss or anything else, apply using the application form below.