Dekyi Sharchitsang

Age: 23

Home Town: Portland, Oregon

Education: B.A. in Political Science, Emory University

Specific Field Interests: Human Rights, International Development, and Education Access

Placement: Shaishav, Dediyapada, Gujarat

Area of Focus: Education, Livelihoods, Child Rights

Fellowship Project: Designing innovative, child-led, and culturally rooted learning modules while documenting impact and strengthening community-based education and empowerment for tribal children.

Highlights: Dekyi is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellow with Shaishav in Dediyapada, Gujarat. For her Fellowship project, she is supporting the ongoing implementation of an alternative, self-directed education initiative which aims to create child-led, sustainable learning environments for tribal children in rural India. Dekyi graduated from Emory University in 2024 with a degree in Political Science. She is passionate about human rights and social justice, with experience in grassroots organizing, nonprofit advocacy, and civic engagement. In college, Dekyi was actively involved in Emory’s Asian Pacific-Islander Desi American Activists (APIDAA), a student organization dedicated to engaging Asian American social justice activism with academia. She also served as a legislative intern for her Senator’s office, an experience that deepened her understanding of U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy, as well as furthered her commitment to fostering cross-cultural collaboration. After graduating, Dekyi began working for a nonprofit organization focused on informing and empowering the constituents of her hometown to exercise their right to vote in local elections. She was able to connect with hundreds of Oregonians and encourage civic participation through voter education, outreach, and mobilization. Her work in these roles continue to inform her commitment to grassroots-level community building and social change. At Shaishav, Dekyi hopes to contribute meaningfully to the organization's mission of providing equitable access to quality education and empowering children with the space and support to shape their own future.