Women as Changemakers: Ashoka’s Legacy of Impact

In the heart of India’s villages, where access to quality education remains a distant dream for many girls, an Ashoka alum is attempting to rewrite the narrative. Ananya Tiwari (YIF ‘16) co-founded the SwaTaleem Foundation which works to provide holistic quality education for young girls from marginalised communities. Working with Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) — government-run residential schools for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds —SwaTaleem focuses on holistic education, nurturing both socio-emotional and cognitive skills through a human-centred design approach.

For Ananya, her entrepreneurial journey began at Ashoka, where the Fellowship shaped her outlook on courage and impact. She recalls how her time here taught her to think fearlessly and embrace challenges. One of the core values of the SwaTaleem Foundation is excellence with humility—a value Ananya says was inspired by the passionate pursuit of excellence embodied by both her peers as well as mentors at Ashoka. Today, as an assistant professor in Educational Psychology at Texas A&M, Ananya bridges her cross-cultural research with her on-ground efforts at SwaTaleem, proving how transformative education can spark enduring change.

The same spirit drives Garima Poonia (YIF’15), who founded the Kachrewaale Project, now the Kachrewaale Foundation, in 2018, drawing on the same ethos of critical thinking and social responsibility. First conceptualised and implemented on Neil Island, this initiative is the first of its kind in the region to address the critical issue of waste management On a visit to the islands in 2017, Garima saw how a lack of proper waste management was threatening the already fragile ecosystem. What began as a small project has now evolved into a comprehensive waste processing system for the islands. Garima, who initially planned on pursuing a career in gender and academia, credits the YIF’s rigorous curriculum with expanding her horizons. Garima reflects on how the faculty at the Fellowship made her curious about ideas she had never encountered before. This transformative journey, characterised by its rigorous curriculum, including courses such as  The Political Economy of India’s Development, encouraged her to follow her calling. Garima’s efforts were recognised in 2019 when she was awarded by the Lieutenant Governor of the Andamans. She went on to serve as a solid waste management consultant for the union territory, showcasing how a single initiative can create ripples of change.

Ananya and Garima are not isolated examples, they are a part of a growing community of women changemakers, nurtured by Ashoka.

Another alumna, Ashweetha Shetty (YIF ‘12), founded the Bodhi Tree Foundation at 22, shortly after graduating from Ashoka. A first-generation graduate herself, Ashweetha has experienced the barriers faced by students from rural communities in accessing education. Through Bodhi Tree, Ashweetha hopes to bridge the rural-urban divide by empowering rural graduates. The organisation supports first-generation college students from rural areas, helping them realise their potential through education, life skills and opportunities. Ashweetha started the Foundation after witnessing the transformative power of inclusive education and wanted to extend similar opportunities to others like her. She credits Ashoka with transforming her self-perception and inspiring her to dream big. 

From educational reform to environmental sustainability, these changemakers are united by their drive to address systemic challenges with innovative solutions. Their journeys serve as testament to the transformative power of Ashoka’s interdisciplinary education, which equips students with not just  knowledge but also with courage to lead and the empathy to uplift.