Nagina, Naghma, and Jasmine are redefining what nonprofit leadership looks like. They grew up in Nizamuddin, Delhi, and have helped co-found Aagaaz Theatre Trust—a nonprofit that creates inclusive spaces rooted in theatre, play, and activity-based learning for children, adolescents, youth, and women. They have been with the nonprofit in different capacities since childhood and now lead different verticals. The three speak about how leadership that emerges from within the community is more effective, as it is truly representative of real needs and issues faced by people.
Leaders from within the community not only understand problems more deeply but also offer grounded solutions. These leaders show us that leadership is not built on policy alone but is shaped by lived experience and genuine connection.
This model of community leadership compels the nonprofit space to ask: Are we truly giving people from the community the opportunity to lead, or merely making decisions on their behalf? In the video, Nagina, Naghma, and Jasmine assert that no matter how capable an external expert may be, they can never fully gain the insight and trust that a leader from within the community holds. Their experience offers a glimpse into a kind of leadership that is rooted at the grassroots and can become the strongest foundation for meaningful change.
