18 years in Karnataka, since 2008
Young women rebuilding their lives through clay, craft and design.
Headstreams works with adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 29 who have dropped out of formal education. Many of them have experienced abuse, abandonment, violence or trafficking as children. Through craft and design education, with ceramics at its heart, we help them build well-being, skills and financial independence, and live lives of their own choosing.
Photo to come: a young woman (over 18) at the pottery wheel at the Headstreams studio.
- Registered society since 2008
- 12AB, 80G, CSR-1 & FCRA registered
- CII Compendium on Rural Development 2026
- NASSCOM Foundation Social Innovation Award
- LEGO Foundation & Ashoka: Pioneer in Learning through Play
18+ years
- people reached directly
- 33,900+
- children reached through play and learning
- 25,500+
- young people trained for work and further study
- 6,200+
- women building livelihoods
- 2,200+
People reached directly, 2008-2026, each counted once per programme. How we counted
At the heart of our work
A life of her own choosing.
Skills and income matter. But what we most want for every young woman is a life of choice and dignity, where she has the power to make choices that fit her own values and goals.
What has been? What is? What would I like it to be?
Read about our approachSeven areas of her life
Within her
- Interests
- Skills
- Attitudes
- Values
Around her
- Experiences
- Relationships
- The Greater Good
Our work
Build. Connect. Prepare.
Three pillars help every woman in our programmes navigate the seven areas of her life: building her sense of power and skills, collaborating with peers and nurturing others with her learnings.
Developing the capabilities of young women through creative livelihood education, including career workshops our interns run for girls in Child Care Institutions.
- Yuva Shilpi Training
- Youth Internship
- Creative Livelihoods Facilitators
- Prarambha Community Programme
Promoting collective power and economic inclusion for women.
- Aalamba Women's Livelihood Collective
- Chakra Kalé: Pottery On Wheels
Nurturing creative confidence in children and adolescents.
- Play & Learn Facilitators
- Anu Akka Tackle Caravan
Pay it forward. Everyone who trains with us in Build and Connect also learns to facilitate play and learning spaces for children through the Anu Akka Tackle Programme.
One young woman's journey
In a safe place, creating a life of her own making.
Girls of 15 to 18 years in institutionalised care join the Yuva Shilpi Training Programme; young women of 18 to 29 years join the Youth Internship Programme. At every step, each asks: what has been, what is, and what would I like it to be?
- ArriveA safe, trauma-informed space, with counselling and peer support from day one.
- LearnCraft and design, ceramics, spoken English, and digital and financial literacy.
- Earn while she learnsAdvanced training with a stipend, product sales and commercial orders.
- LeadAs an "I am a changemaker" intern, she facilitates the setup of craft and design training in other CCIs and NGOs.
- OwnA place in the Aalamba Collective or with Pottery On Wheels, then her own independent path.
- Give backAll along the way, she runs play sessions for children through the Anu Akka Tackle Caravan Programme.
In her words
[CONSENT] A young woman's own words will appear here once her written consent is on file. Add the story in Pages CMS under Stories, then tick "Written consent is on file" and "Show on the website".
Now booking in Bengaluru
A pottery studio that comes to you.
Book sessions with Chakra Kalé: Pottery On Wheels, for your office, school, apartment or event. Every paid booking funds free sessions for under-resourced communities.
For funders and CSR partners
Accountable, audited, recognised.
Annual reports since 2008, audited financials, and beneficiary numbers for 2022-25 certified by a chartered accountant.
Reports & governance- Registered. Society since 2008; 12AB, 80G, CSR-1 and FCRA registered.
- Measured. Every programme reviewed for model clarity, delivery and impact.
- Validated. Included in the CII Foundation's Compendium on Rural Development, 2026.
- Safe and trauma-informed. Staff trained in trauma-sensitive practice; a Child Safeguarding Policy for our work with girls under 18.
Supported by and working with
- Microsoft
- State Street
- Fossil India
- Thoughtworks
- Titan Company
- Kenvue
- Omnenest
- WOW Kitty
- NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore)
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Help a young woman choose her future.
Your gift pays for training, materials, stipends and counselling. Eligible for tax deduction under Section 80G.
Coming up
Craft4Change conference
30-31 October 2026, Bengaluru. Practitioners, funders and makers working on craft-based livelihoods. [ADD registration link]
Register interestPottery On Wheels is taking bookings
Now booking. Within 20 km of our Thanisandra Centre, Bengaluru.
See dates and prices
From the studio
Follow the makers, new pieces and events as they happen.
[ADD: recent Instagram posts, refreshed once a day as ordinary images.]