Isha Badkas

Isha is a passionate facilitator in Bhopal, dedicated to exploring gender and sexuality by creating dialogue spaces for children and adults. After completing her Master’s in Education, Isha began working with the Eklavya Foundation in Bhopal, focusing on the intersection of gender and education. She and her colleagues developed a 5-day residential workshop titled ‘Gender in the Classroom’, designed to introduce participants to the concept of gender, its societal and personal impacts, and its influence on the school environment. The workshop also encourages reflection on how facilitators can contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable space.

Simultaneously, she has been developing a curriculum on comprehensive sexuality education for primary and middle school students, using storytelling as a key tool for engagement. 

During the Fellowship, Isha is embarking on a project to co-create autobiographical narratives exploring gender and sexuality for the students of 4th to 7th and 8th to 10th classes, through a blend of reflective exercises, creative games, and engaging activities. This innovative project will culminate in a one-of-a-kind book, designed to serve as a unique resource for students.

Hasina Khatun

Hasina is a Delhi-based communications consultant who has worked as a government employee and in the film industry before transitioning into communications. She enjoys telling stories that bring people’s experiences to the forefront and has spent the last few years working on various social issues, using narratives to highlight challenges faced by communities that often go unheard.

During the Fellowship, Hasina plans to document the experiences of women living with lymphatic filariasis, a neglected tropical disease, in Kanpur Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. Through conversations and visual storytelling, she hopes to capture their daily realities and shed light on their resilience. This project is close to her heart, reflecting her belief that stories have the power to create understanding and drive change.

Deeptangshu Kar

Deeptangshu is a practicing advocate based in Kolkata, West Bengal, specializing in public law and constitutional litigation. Deeptangshu has been actively engaged in legally representing urban homeless populations, rural workers, tea garden workers, displaced indigenous people etc. in the state of West Bengal. 

With a strong foundation in litigation, Deeptangshu’s legal advocacy has played a critical role in securing statutory forest rights for 113 traditional forest-dwelling families in West Bengal, reinstating financial assistance for workers of a closed tea garden in Alipurduar district and challenging the non-fixation of minimum wages in the tea industry.

During the Fellowship, Deeptangshu will engage in legal representation, community empowerment and policy reform for urban poor, migrant workers and tea estate workers.