Saraswathi got married at 16, had her first child at 17, worked through the day as a domestic worker in multiple homes as a malnourished tired young mother. Gayatri (FAT's founder) knew her through her mother. As a young 16-year-old, Saraswathi and her sisters used to show a lot of curiosity in learning to use a computer. This inspired Gayatri to hold a free computer workshop for girls from nearby neighborhoods during summer break and see how she can integrate rights education with it. The word spread out fast through the network of domestic workers and other daily wagers working in the area and soon 19 girls from 4 different communities attended this workshop. By the end of the workshop, girls demanded a permanent center nearby, and that is how the idea of setting up a Tech Center formed. That has become the Young Women's Leadership Program today.
That was 10 years ago. Today, Saraswati is a 26-year-old mother of 3 kids pursuing a degree in nursing and happy to have finally started her career, after years of setbacks. After working for years with us, she went back to work as a part-time domestic help while completing her education and bringing up her kids.