Press Release: The IC3 Institute Launches “IC3 Rebuild” Initiative

IC3 Institute

November 21, 2021

India, November 21, 2021 – The IC3 Institute has launched the “IC3 Rebuild” initiative to expand its
support for women in the wake of the COVID-19 aftermath. The initiative supports women from
families that have lost their primary breadwinner to COVID-19 by empowering them with training,
resources, and employment opportunities as career counselors.

The COVID-19 surge in India brought many challenges. To hundreds of families, one of these
challenges was the loss of their primary breadwinner, pushing them to the brink of poverty. These
families need sustenance support beyond having their immediate relief needs met. As a response to
the socio-economic fallout of the pandemic, the IC3 Institute launched the IC3 Rebuild initiative to
help provide women with continuous livelihood opportunities in order for the affected families to
overcome the many challenges of a post-pandemic world.

As the global need for career and college counseling continues to grow, the IC3 Institute was
established in 2018 as a nonprofit organization to address this issue by providing support to high
schools worldwide through guidance and training resources for their counselors and teachers.
The IC3 Institute plans to empower 500 women through the IC3 Rebuild initiative. Today, more than
130 women from 47 cities within 18 Indian states have been enrolled in the program. The online
training and sessions for the first cohort started in September 2021 and will finish in January 2022.
The age range of the current participants is 21 to 60 years.

Rakhi, one of the initiative’s participants, says: “I am 31 years old and mother to a 2-year-old girl.
After losing my husband of 11 years to COVID-19, I was thrown out of my marital home with only 500
rupees. But I will not be defeated by my circumstances.” She adds, “The IC3 Institute has provided
me with skills and training to get employment and live a life of dignity. Today, I am determined to
rebuild my life and create a future filled with hope, dreams, and aspirations for my child.”

“This program is not just about empowering women; it is about our allyship to the cause of
rebuilding lives,” states Shalini Kapoor, IBM Fellow - AI and Director - AI Apps. Kapoor, who also
serves as Thought Leadership Council member of the IC3 Institute, continues: “I found this program
the most impactful amongst all COVID relief plans as it teaches women for life and is not just a
one-time help. It transforms lives and gives impetus to the entire family to be back on their feet. I am
honored to be part of this program, and I give my heartfelt wishes to all those who have
conceptualized this well-rounded program.”

The IC3 Institute teamed up with several partners to ensure the success of the initiative. HDFC Capital
Advisors Limited is the Corporate Social Responsibility partner, and Harappa Education is the initiative’s
skills partner. Outreach partners include COVID Women's Help, Breakthrough India, and several other
grassroots-level NGOs helping the IC3 Institute advocate for the initiative. The Shri Ram Schools graciously
donated 15 laptops to program beneficiaries in need of technology aid, while more than 50 faculty
members and 30 mentors have contributed their time and expertise to the program and its beneficiaries.
As the first cohort for IC3 Rebuild begins its journey with the IC3 Institute, immediate support in
raising funds to impact the lives of these women and their families is still needed. To donate:
https://ic3institute.org/donate/

The IC3 Rebuild initiative is closely tied to the mission of the IC3 Institute. These trained counselors
will shape the counseling practices in schools, further transform many young students’ lives through
career and college counseling, and provide women with sustainable employment skills for life.

Contact:
info@ic3institute.org
https://ic3institute.org/