Schools and campuses can become the hotspot for the practice of aggressive and unwanted behaviour – bullying. It not only makes a kid terrified and embarrassed but also ends up with severe problems like anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. Every child out of five is being bullied, whether at their school or any place outside. The National Crime Victimization Survey has reported that about 22% of school students between 12-18 years have to experience bullying.
This imbalance of power can be emotional, physical or cyber; any of these can be repetitive and make a child hollow from inside. The helplessness and fear can reign the mind, and withstanding this can seem impossible.
Not many are willing to do anything about this significant issue, but this statement is not true for Anoushka Jolly, a 13 years old girl from New Delhi, who has pledged to eliminate this vicious practice. At this young age, she has shown her potential to confront bullying and help those who are still stuck with such unpleasant experiences.
Anouska Jolly – The Founder And CEO of “Kavach – Anti-Bullying Squad.”
Kavach – the anti-bullying squad is a platform where a person suffering from similar issues can ask out for help and understand what anti-bullying actually is. Schools and institutions can also collaborate with the anti-bullying squad to educate their students about bullying practices and spread awareness regarding this sensitive topic.
“It’s About Building A Society Of Empathy”, says the Young Entrepreneur.
This young girl coming up for a cause that was earlier ignored by many has made people awestruck. How this initiative irked is something people generally ask when they hear about a 13-year old entrepreneur.
In her words, “It’s about building a society of empathy. I want to make the world a friendlier and more empathetic place, and I will do that by reaching out to every kid in the world, and empowering them to fight against bullying.”
Anoushka, in an interview, has stated that she has to go through the same experience where she was unable to fight it or even ask someone to help. One more incident that ignited this great initiative was when her school friends came up and whispered to her that they were planning to bully a six-year-old as they found her annoying. This incident made her realize the insensitivity prevalent everywhere. Her ability to console the girl by protecting her made her stand for others too.
The Anti-Bullying Squad Has Helped Thousands Of Students In These Three Years.
With her father’s support and guidance, she started an online platform Kavach, which is a social enterprise against bullying. The platform endeavors to reduce insensitive practices in schools and campuses through group sessions, sharing personal experiences and spreading awareness. This idea has been a huge success and has become extensively popular. The anti-bullying squad has helped over 2,000 students so far to overcome their fears of getting bullied and regain their self-esteem. Not only this, more than 100 schools and universities have also joined her in this journey.
Anoushka Was The Youngest Budding Entrepreneur At Shark Tank India.
Anoushka was recently seen at the most in-buzz platform of Shark Tank India as the youngest entrepreneur. With a revolutionary idea and her potential, she bagged 50 lakhs and convinced Anupam Mittal – the founder of Shaadi.com and Aman Gupta – founder of boAt, for the funding.
Earlier, she was invited as a young entrepreneur in BYJU’s Young Genius to talk and share her initiative to end the malpractice of bullying from every corner of the world.
Her Journey Is Nowhere Close So Is Her Never-Ending Zeal And Devotion To Making A Difference.
As a school student, she is a role model to many. And her school is very proud to have such a great mind with them. Her school principal shares, “She’s courageous, she’s brave. And she wants to delve into a topic, which is not an easy topic.”
Anoushka’s pure and endless dedication helped more than 2,000 students to overcome and fight with the bullying. Check few stories of her efforts;