You may be asking yourself, “What is Shakti?”

“Shakti” is an Indian word that means “empowerment.” However, at Stamford High School it means more than that. “Shakti” is the name of a club that is devoted to raising money and awareness about female illiteracy in developing countries.

Gunjan Hooja, an SHS graduate who now attends Cornell University, founded the club in 2010, and it has only grown since then.

The club does various activities to raise money, including coin drives on Saturdays. According to Co-President Swathy Shriram the money the club raises “goes to organizations around the world that provide educational resources to schools in developing nations.”

Meetings are held every other week after school on Thursdays in room 130. Along with the co-presidents, the supervisor of Shakti, history teacher Tiffany Clark, runs the meetings. At these meetings you expand your knowledge of life in other countries and think of creative fundraising ideas.

It’s never too late to join. Co-President Olivia Beech says they “encourage boys to participate because it’s not just a woman’s problem.”

If you are interested in joining, visit Clark in room 130 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.