Maitrayana Charity Foundation

Started in 2006, this sport-for-development programme implemented by Maitrayana in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru focuses on empowering adolescent girls (aged 10-18) and young women (aged 19-25) through sports and life skills. The core component of the programme is sports training, specifically netball, which serves as a platform for delivering life skills education and fostering leadership development. Adolescent girls participate in sessions (up to 10 months) where they learn netball and life-skills from young female coaches. 130,000 participants are part of this programme

This programme provides girls and young women with guidance, training programmes, and industry exposure through internships. Participants are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue their education and career aspirations. The training programmes are designed to develop both technical or hard skills and interpersonal or soft skills, ensuring a holistic approach to their professional development.

It actively engages with various stakeholders, including community leaders, religious leaders, political leaders, Government departments, sports federations, and NGOs, to advocate for improved outcomes for girls in access to sports, female leadership, and child safeguarding. It has launched the Collective for Safeguarding Children in Sport, which brings together organisations in India that utilize sports for development. Maitrayana implements programmes with a focus on adolescent girls and young women, aiming to address gender inequality, build thematic networks around sports and girls/women's empowerment, enhance the capacity of NGOs in sports and gender, and establish itself as an influencer in formal local and national structures. Its programmes encompass advocacy, thought leadership, regranting and model partnerships, national/global networking, and providing data and insights to partners and third parties.

Maitrayana implements programmes targeting adolescent girls and young women with the aim of building their understanding of the effects of gender inequality on the family and community, as well as highlighting the advantages of gender equality for everyone. These programmes also focus on creating an enabling environment within the community that promotes gender equality and allows girls to actively contribute. Various initiatives drive family and community engagement and build awareness of gender-equality. Family and community meetings promote interactions with stakeholders at this level.