Fellowship Project: Planning and creating local employment opportunities through incubating micro-entrepreneurs (homepreneurs & entrepreneurs) & developing an ecosystem for micro-start-ups.

Highlights: Divya is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Fellow with SAFA in Hyderabad, Telangana. For her Fellowship project, she is working towards developing and creating local employment opportunities through incubating micro-entrepreneurs (homepreneurs & entrepreneurs) & developing an ecosystem for micro startups. Born and raised in a small district in Punjab, Divya always questioned the patriarchal system of society and the increasing dichotomies between the developed and developing world. Divya pursued her integrated course of BCom LLB from Tamil Nadu National Law University, Tiruchirappalli. All through her academic pursuits, Divya weaved a dream of playing a part in the development sector. During her graduation, she interned under various organizations such as People’s Union of Civil Liberties, Jaipur during her first year where she experienced the working of NGOs through surveys and public interest litigation filed by the NGO. She worked with Majlis Legal Centre, Mumbai which is a women’s organization. This organization is working in the field of women and children’s empowerment through domestic violence litigation and as support persons under Prevention of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2009. Here she learned various aspects of litigation in various courts in Mumbai. She interned with Jagori Rural Charitable Trust, Dharamshala with the violence investigation team and actively participated in surveys through home visits. Divya strongly believes in two-way communication with the communities to know their needs to bring change and draw inspiration from the stories of others to analyze the social structure of the society. In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling. Divya is honored to be serving as an AIF Fellow to expand her horizons in the development sector. For her, this Fellowship would act as a stepping stone to starting her own social enterprise or NGO in the future.