A trauma-informed, community-driven initiative launched to empower women through healing, leadership, and systemic change.
In complex societies shaped by layers of identity, tradition, and expectation, change is never simple or transactional. True transformation sees people not just as beneficiaries, but as individuals navigating systems and silent struggles. Like the woman newly earning but returning to a home that resents her independence, or the farmer building skills while negotiating freedom with expectations of sacrifice. A young girl daring to dream may still be told her place is in the kitchen, not the classroom. Even a strong, trained Smart Sakhi may silently carry the trauma of witnessing violence. This is where Zehn ki Lehar steps in.
Tata Communications, in association with Sky Social, is proud to announce the launch of Zehn Ki Lehar, a bold and transformative initiative aimed at creating deeper, lasting impact in underserved communities. “Zehn” is an Urdu word for mind, awareness, and inner understanding. “Lehar” is a Hindi word for wave. Together, “Zehn Ki Lehar” means “a wave of the mind” or “a wave of awareness”, a quiet but powerful movement that begins within and flows outward, stirring change in places often silenced.
As part of Tata Communications continued commitment to empowering women and fostering inclusive development, Zehn Ki Lehar was conceived to address the often-overlooked emotional, mental, and social dimensions of empowerment. It seeks to create safe, supportive ecosystems where women not only gain knowledge and skills but also reclaim their voices, build resilience, and lead change from within their communities.
The programme began with an intensive three-day residential workshop in Dumka, Jharkhand, a small village, yet home to women with extraordinary dreams and determination. The inaugural cohort included 20 dynamic participants from MPowered, a Tata Communications-supported project implemented by Trickle Up India Foundation.
The launch and poster unveiling were graced by Mr. Prakash Kumar (District Child Protection Officer, Dumka, Government of Jharkhand), Mr. Nishant Ekka (District Program Manager, Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society – JSLPS, Dumka), Pallavi Barua (Global Head, CSR, Tata Communications), Sushant Verma (Director, Trickle Up India Foundation), and Srishti Pragat (Founder, Sky Social).
Zehn Ki Lehar is not merely a programme, it is a movement rooted in healing, agency, and leadership. It recognizes that true empowerment goes beyond economic opportunity; it requires dismantling deep-rooted patriarchy, addressing trauma, and creating safe spaces where women can speak, lead, and thrive, while also nurturing their mental and social well-being.
By integrating trauma-informed practices, expressive arts, gender sensitization, legal literacy, and support for mental and social well-being into a cohesive, community-led framework, Zehn Ki Lehar nurtures resilient women leaders who, in turn, become changemakers in their families and communities.
Its strength lies in its ripple effect, when one woman rises, she lifts others with her. Grounded in empathy and designed for long-term cultural change, Zehn Ki Lehar seeks to redefine what empowerment looks like across rural and tribal India. It is a call to action, a commitment to justice, and a growing wave of women-led transformation.
This pilot workshop marks the beginning of the initiative within Tata Communications’ CSR initiatives.
