Change Initiatives is a Kolkata-based non-government organisation working in the areas of education, livelihoods and environment. We work mainly among women, children and the youth.
Our work has a strong focus on ICTs, and we work on proven solutions to development problems — both of which help us to quickly achieve the desired results.
Our collaborators include Unesco, EU, DFID, Governments of India and West Bengal, CapGemini, Nasscom, University of Manchester, Natural Resources Institute,UK and Radboud University of the Netherlands.
We are a Gender & ICT award winner at the World Summit of Information Society and have received Honorary Mention at Prix Ars Electronica.
We want to create a climate-just world where education and employability opportunities are accessible to all, regardless of gender or socioeconomic background
Our mission is to empower women, children, and youth by providing quality education, promoting sustainable environmental practices, and enhancing employability skills, through digital inclusion programme
We believe education, employment, and livelihood are essential building blocks of sustainable development and can improve the quality of life for individuals and communities
Using Digital Inclusion for better and faster delivery of results
Apply principles of behavioral science to ensure quick take-up of programmes
Follow evidence-based data driven approach as it enables knowledge on what works and what does not
Adopt principles of ethnographic action research — ethnography helps to understand problems from the point of view of the target group, while action research offers us scope to reflect and suitably modify project plans
Implement projects and programmes within a strong sectoral framework with cross-cutting themes covering the vulnerable sections of society
Our Women in STEM project is into its fourth month, and the response has been very encouraging. In this project, we are mentoring 25 women undergraduate students from 7 Kolkata colleges to build a sustainable career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math). The project is supported by the American Centre, Kolkata.
Change Initiatives has undertaken a novel effort on environment awareness — we are recycling saris into carry bags. We are inviting donations of old saris, which our girls are turning into bags that can be folded and kept inside smaller bags and pockets.
