ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT JOAN CALLISTA VALAPARLA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.
University of Delhi | New Delhi, India | Advancing SDG 10 & UNAI 1
" The Millennium Fellowship will allow me to interact with like-minded people both locally and globally. I feel that only concerted and organized efforts will help us achieve the UN Goals. The fellowship will also provide me with advice from people who have extensive expertise who have worked in these areas for a long time. Working with such people would provide me with an unparalleled learning experience, in my opinion.
The ability to benefit from first-hand job experience would be provided by the experience. When pursuing a project under one's own direction, one will face a number of obstacles. Identifying and overcoming these obstacles would add to the importance of my toolkit. This learning experience could be critical in preparing me to take on more similar tasks in the future.
In the future, I want to pursue Development Studies. Understanding the responses to poverty and determining which strategies succeed and which do not is the foundation of Development Studies for me. The fellowship will provide an excellent opportunity for me to learn more about the profession in which I hope to work. The experience will also provide new perspectives on global poverty. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Project Parakram
Project Parakram focuses on encouraging women’s economic empowerment, combating income inequality, and overall community development. We will be primarily focusing on SDG 10, under which specifically would be SDG 5 and 8. Project Parakram will be a social entrepreneurship venture, introducing women to different ways to earn income post the pandemic and help them to stand strong financially. This Project would enable us to take our first major steps towards radically reducing the gap between rich and poor.
The Project has been executed through two methods. Firstly, surveys can be done to check the income, work security, and financial literacy among women in the target area. Awareness would be spread on existing schemes on development, which can be utilized to raise a better standard of living, and especially be financially more literate. Secondly, we would be going ahead with starting Self Help Groups (SHGs) for women since most of them here are homemakers and are unemployed apart from that. This will be a source of income for them and help them to be economically empowered.
About the Millennium Fellow
Joan Callista (she/her) is a capable, open-minded and adept final year student double majoring in History and Economics, from St.Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. For a long time now, Joan has been passionate about her advocacies for education, women’s empowerment and reducing inequalities. Joan is looking to obtain a career in International Development. Joan’s enthusiasm and passion has been reflected in her achievements and her continued devotion to social activities in the global community. She has planned and coordinated several initiatives efficiently, which she wants to pursue in the future through her effective leadership. Joan is in addition, fond of learning languages, reading up on mythologies and exercising.
