India CSR Network
MUMBAI: YES FOUNDATION, the social development arm of YES BANK, launched the second edition of Media for Social Change Fellowship – a high impact program to develop socially conscious youth leadership in association with ISDI WPP School of Communication and supported by YES BANK.
The second edition was launched by Chief Guest Gururaj Deshpande, Co-Chair, Barack Obama’s National Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy & Founder, Deshpande Foundation, Namita Vikas, Member, Governing Council, YES FOUNDATION and Group President & Managing Director, Climate Strategy & Responsible Banking, YES BANK; Prerana Langa, CEO, YES FOUNDATION and Naveen Jha, CEO, Deshpande Foundation.
The 2-month Fellowship aims at developing socially conscious youth leadership through exposure to social issues and credible NGOs and strengthening communication efforts of NGOs to maximise their social impact.
Speaking about the launch, Rana Kapoor, Co-Chairman and Chief Mentor, YES FOUNDATION said, “India’s inclusive development necessitates harnessing the incredible positive energy of our nation’s youth. The country faces great development challenges, but inherent in these challenges are significant opportunities for the Indian youth to exercise their creativity, develop solutions and make a good impact.”
200 high-potential Fellows will be placed in 50 credible NGOs across Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru for 7 weeks where they will lead well defined communication projects under the mentorship and guidance of industry experts and senior NGO leadership. The Fellowship will hone the leadership skills of the youth, sensitising them towards social causes and enabling them to emerge as social leaders.
Addressing the audience, Gururaj Deshpande said, “We need to bring compassion back into the corporate sector. The world needs problem solvers. YES FOUNDATION Media for Social Change Fellowship is a wonderful mindset changing journey leading to self discovery of youth thereby creating young problem solvers.”
Last year, the Fellowship received an overwhelming response of 922 registrations from premier colleges across India. 45 high-potential aspirants in the age group of 18-25 years were selected as Fellow Designates after a rigorous selection and placed in 19 NGOs across Mumbai including Teach for India, HelpAge India, Kherwadi Social Welfare Association, LabourNet, Magic Bus and Pratham amongst others.
Prerana Langa, CEO, YES FOUNDATION said, “We strongly believe in bridging gaps in the ecosystem. Towards this belief, YES FOUNDATION Media for Social Change Fellowship empowers youth to emerge as strong social leaders while providing communication and volunteering resources to strengthen the development sector. We are delighted to see the enthusiasm and commitment of the youth and are sure that they will add tremendous value to NGOs and amplify social impact.”
