Creating a Connection to her Indian Roots

Ananya Potluri, a 17-year-old high school student, lives in Florida. Her family immigrated to the U.S. from southern India three years before she was born. “I see these images of young women [at Sambhali Trust] studying. It makes me feel connected to them. I have family in India. My ancestors came from the rural side. A lot of the women in my family didn’t have educational opportunities. Yes, my family moved on from that, but there are still many in India who don’t have access to education.” 

Ananya serves on the Communications Committee for Sambhali U.S., where she creates social media posts. She uses tools like Canva and Adobe Photoshop, but much of the work is research, pouring over success stories from the Trust and statistics from resources like the UN.

Ananya found Sambhali U.S. via Volunteer Match in the spring. After finishing school in May, she jumped right in, researching the background and mission of Sambhali. She was looking for a nonprofit related to India and a way to use her interest in technology to raise awareness. She created her first Instagram post highlighting literacy rates for women in India.

“Ananya came on as our youngest volunteer. My reservations about her youth quickly disappeared with our first interview. Ananya is accomplished and assertive. She puts her heart into her work, making sure she communicates the needs and accomplishments of the women and girls of Sambhali,” says Ginka Poole, Vice President of Sambhali U.S. and chair of the Communications Committee.

“It’s amazing to have an international impact,” says Ananya. “It’s a way to give back to my native country. I’m helping in a small way, and that’s super important to me. I have a close tie to my country now. Instead of just being from India, now I’m actually helping people in India.”

Ananya celebrating Diwali