Mumbai : Up until now, mentoring and volunteering have not seen their true potential in India. In order to address this dire need gap, Trishya Screwvala – daughter of social entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, has launched ‘The Lighthouse Project’ an initiative under her NGO Rain dancer that aims to provide a structured, focused and impact driven volunteering program in the country.

The Lighthouse Project, a first-of-its-kind mentoring program in India will pair college students and working professionals with children from under resourced communities. Built on the need for creating reliable adult role models for young children, the mentors will help these children develop critical life skills, while exposing them to a world beyond their own.

The launch of the project was supported by celebrities and noted public figures such as Farhan Akhtar and Nandini Sardesai, who deliberated on how urban Indian youngsters need to be inspired and mobilized in order to actively contribute towards positive social impact

At the press conference today, Trishya Screwvala, Founder, Raindancer said “There are numerous mentoring platforms that have proven to be incredibly successful across the world, but in India, mentoring is still a very under-utilized development tool. While we have clearly defined mentee growth areas and a curriculum designed by experts, our focus is equally on providing our mentors with the exposure and opportunity to develop into socially active citizens. We are attempting to make the process of volunteering easy, fun, rewarding and incentivized”

The Lighthouse Project has taken several security measures to ensure safety of the mentees at all times, including an automated SMS check-in and check out system. At the same time, they have given fun perks to the mentors to keep them energized, tying up with youth brands like The Blue Frog, Pizza Express, The Lazy Dog amongst others to provide participating mentors with rewards and discounts for the duration of the programme. It is a win-win situation for both

Commenting on the occasion, FarhanAkhtar added ““Children are impressionable and willing to learn and they need someone to look up to. Be it their parents, teachers or a role-model, they require an unwavering support system. The Lighthouse initiative addresses the very need in children to find a confidante, a mentor to learn and become beautiful human beings. Congratulations to Trishya and Raindancer for such a fabulous initiative!”

The Lighthouse Project is committed towards fostering lasting relationships between young urban India and children from underprivileged communities, which they believe will create a permanent positive change in the lives of both the mentors and the mentees.

Source : Lokesh Shastri