WHO WE ARE
Willow Fund is a non-profit organization incorporated in India. We are staffed by only volunteers and supported by kind sponsors. As such, there is no operating cost. 100% of the fund we raise and proceeds from sales will go to the NGOs that we partner with.
Willow Fund’s vision is to support women who have been impacted by the pandemic, and women artisans in rural areas who need more platforms to showcase their handicrafts during these challenging times.
Our core values guide how we conduct ourselves in everything that we do:
- RespectCompassion
- Self-sufficiency
- EqualityCourage
- Equality
- Courage
WHAT WE DO
Willow Fund provides a platform to share the stories of women in need and women artisans in rural areas. We hope to increase the awareness of these women’s plights.
We are giving the NGOs that we are partnering with an additional channel to raise funds, so that they can support these women in the following areas:
- Skills development for homemakers
- Access to market for women artisans
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
The pandemic and gender inequality have pushed many women further into poverty. We hope to help more women impacted during these challenging times get access to more support that will help reduce the risk of living in poverty.
Every little bit helps. Even small amounts can make a big difference to the lives of these women who have been negatively affected. With your timely support, we hope these women will be able to have access to better livelihoods and break out of generational poverty.
OUR TEAM
Anika Midha, Founder, Willow Fund
As a 17-year-old student, I feel blessed to have been able to view the world through several different lenses- being a third culture kid, my life began in India, continued in China and Singapore. Now, I live and study in the US. When COVID-19 hit last year, I saw every country that I called “home” go through massive devastation. Overnight, the state of so many countries, families and individuals were left in jeopardy. The level of despair seemed unreal. I realized that many livelihoods would never remain the same and even if we as the world were to recover, it was going to take every bit of resilience we possess. I used my sense of resilience to dream of a better future for women artisans across the world, in order to grant them the autonomy to create and sustain their livelihood and that’s how Willow Fund began.
Archana Sahay, Coach & Mentor, Willow Fund
It is an absolute pleasure to be associated with a social enterprise that is so focused on creating and sustaining the livelihood of rural woman artisans across the world. Having worked in the impact space for about 2 decades’, I’m excited to be a part of this new chapter of lifelong learnings by being able to showcase the power of women-led impact through the eyes of our powerful women artisans! I particularly find it refreshing to be able to work with youth who exhibit such a great level of empathy, intelligence and persistence. As a coach & mentor, I work closely with Ms.Anika in establishing this social venture and supporting all the initiatives of the startup.