We aren't just hoping for a brighter future; we are turning on the lights ourselve.

My journey in social work began at age 20. Ground-level volunteering at different NGOs in Pune showed me firsthand how much good work was already being done - food, clothing, shelter, and celebrations, all handled well by generous donors, CSR programs, and fellow social workers. But one thing kept standing out: almost no one was focused on long-term guidance and mentorship. Kids weren't short on supplies or basic needs - those were already well met. What they were short on was someone showing up for them consistently, year after year, with real educational skills and genuine mentorship. And providing that takes a long-term commitment.

Many of us grew up with someone at the dinner table - a parent, an older sibling, a relative - guiding us, correcting our blind spots, and showing us how the world works. But underprivileged and orphan kids don't have anyone to give them that same guidance. I believe a child is not truly educated if all they have is what's from school textbooks.

To bridge this gap, I started Shasya. We built our own flagship program - YoungMinds - which teaches modern-world knowledge and skills, and strengthens interpersonal ability through vocational hobbies and hands-on learning. We gathered a diverse volunteer base to help us fulfill this, and began building a curriculum and executing it through simulations and workshops.

I don't want to limit this to orphanage kids alone - I want to expand it to government schools, and even to kids from well-settled families. We want to take this to a global level using digital technology, decentralizing our way of working by opening region-wise chapters at a national level.

As a Chartered Accountant, I always make sure money does what it's actually supposed to do - change lives.

Finally, I want to sincerely thank all our volunteers, donors, supporters, advisors and my team.

CA Sweekar Patole , Founder