Changemaker Spotlight – Niharika Dwivedi
“Gender equality has always been a passion very close to my heart. Explicitly or indirectly, all genders have experienced some sort of inequality. However, I wanted to look beyond these inequalities that persist in an urban background and instead understand the stories of rural India, of marginalised communities who have been historically excluded from the Indian mainstream. While pondering about this thought, what instantly clicked with me was to perhaps interact with tribal women and understand their plight.” – Niharika Dwivedi
Meet Niharika, our changemaker studying in Grade 10 at Pathways World School who has a novel approach and immense dedication to the cause of gender justice.
How did your interest in Changemaking start?
Like most of us, I was more focussed on myself and my passions. But the pandemic changed my outlook towards life, in general, and our world and community. Now I strongly feel that those of us from privileged backgrounds must take an effort to know the other side of our own people. The pandemic reiterated my belief in the power of humanity — something that was instilled in me thanks to my familial upbringing and schooling.
During the pandemic, I thought of sending a few migrant workers back to their homes. I used my piggy bank savings to help a migrant family of 3 members, stuck in a night shelter in Delhi, move to their home in Jharkhand. With my family’s help, I booked flight tickets for them. Helping migrant workers and similar opportunities provided by my school for social service enabled me to explore the humanitarian in me.
What project did you choose at TribesforGOOD and why?
There were many projects to select from when I applied to TribesforGOOD in the summer of 2022. However, the concept of STEM has always been interesting to me. And I wanted to do something with it along the lines of community service. I was keen on imparting the knowledge I’d gained over the years to underprivileged children. I was also aware that my privileged background limited my interactions with people beyond my locality. And so, I was glad to work on the theme of Education – imparting STEM knowledge. I taught Maths and Science to underprivileged students from grades 8, 9 and 10 through the NGO, Pratyek, in Delhi.
How did your interest in STEM come to be?
I’ve always been interested in Science and Math concepts. I love explaining these subjects to my friends too. I’m that last-minute friend helping with any topic. That aside, the fact that many of my peers and friends have been passionate about STEM for years fascinates me — their passion & fascination seem to prevail regardless of differences in caste, community, gender, race, etc. Also, 4-5 years ago, I had the privilege of attending a workshop at my school, conducted by Harvard University, on women in STEM. After the workshop, I started looking at science from a comprehensive, holistic, and socio-economic-political perspective. It made me realize how important it is to include girls and women, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, in STEM. The experience made me look at the field beyond the concepts and more from a people perspective. I wanted to do it during the pandemic but I couldn’t. And so, when the opportunity to share knowledge came to me through TribesforGOOD, I jumped at it.
Could you share more about your project with TribesforGOOD?
I got to collaborate with STEM enthusiasts from across India. Together we worked on the classes and taught the students. They were excited to learn from us. Speaking in Hindi was a challenge for me. I felt guilty about not being able to communicate in Hindi but my teammates and I worked through it. We tried to improve their understanding by breaking down the concepts into simple language.
How impactful do you think your sessions were?
I initially thought the students might not be interested much in learning from us but they proved us wrong. They were really passionate. We could see that hands were always raised to ask questions and share answers. I vividly remember one student who attended all our sessions and towards the end that student thanked us for teaching them some topics that they weren’t able to understand well until then. To see a student grasping a concept, for me, would be proof that our efforts did not go in vain. I also realized what it takes to teach a person, something I had underestimated until then.
Based on your experiences with the Harvard University workshop at school and your fieldwork with TribesforGOOD, what do you think we can do to keep girls from underprivileged sections in STEM?
Very recently in one of my history lessons at school, we were discussing how the word ‘history’ is gendered. Also, how Rosalind Franklin didn’t get due credit for her work on the discovery of the structure of the DNA. I believe we need to have more of these discussions with girls, in general. More importantly with girls whose access to resources is limited. We need to make them aware of such experiences of discrimination and marginalisation of women in STEM. We’ve barely touched on the numerous stories of women in the Indian IT/corporate sector. More women must vocalize their experiences.
Did the TFG program experience help combine your passions with working on humanitarian causes?
Yes, it did. In fact, I combined my passions for filmmaking and gender equality. I made a documentary on the daily lives & gender-based challenges of tribal women. Isn’t it great for the world if we can combine our passion and community? It gives an intrinsic motivation to do something for the larger community. I also have a few ideas in relation to STEM, gender equality & menstruation. But I’ll need to understand more diverse aspects of the problems such as political representation & legal aspects. I’m looking to focus on that by collaborating with a few NGOs.
As a Gen Z ChangeWarrior, what do you think of one person’s ability to bring about change?
After I helped the migrant family get home, some of my friends did ask me how I did it on my own. I strongly believe that all of us individuals have the power to create any sort of change. And if we believe in the idea of change-making, we can all start somewhere. It’s about that ability to take a risk and get out of our comfort zone. As a matter of fact, upon hearing about my community service experience, a schoolmate reached out to me for collaboration on raising awareness of menstruation. I then supported her as she went on to conduct a few sessions for the CRY foundation. Communication and collaboration with like-minded people certainly help to amplify our efforts.
How has the TFG program helped shape your skills?
My project at TribesforGOOD helped me evolve as an individual. It also helped me in the community impact projects I took up after that summer. The language barrier made me think about learning the language well. After all, Hindi is one of the official languages and is spoken by many. It would help to know it well to communicate during such social impact work. The backstage planning and preparation helped enhance my communication skills. The program also reminded me to be more sensitive & adapt to the socio-economic backgrounds of other people. The NGO students often faced internet connectivity issues. I had to be understanding of their situation and wait for them. Sometimes, as a team, we had to support them by repeating certain portions. It also made me more patient. Besides, I was able to build a great rapport with my fellow teammates from across India. I have happy memories of my program days.
What keeps you going apart from your studies and your humanitarian causes?
I love dancing. I’m a classically trained Bharatanatyam dancer. I’m pursuing my Senior Diploma. I’m preparing for those exams too.
Applications are open for Global Challenges & Social Justice Summer Programs.
