5 min readPuneJul 26, 2026 01:14 PM IST Written by Shrijita Acharyya When 22-year-old Shruti Bajpai graduated, she expected finding a job to be the next step. Instead, she spent nearly six months moving from one interview to another, only to be disappointed. “Some places even asked me to pay money for a job but never offered a placement,” she recalled. Unsure of where to turn next, Bajpai and her parents visited a Lighthouse Communities Foundation (LCF) centre after hearing about the organisation. She enrolled in its Office Executive course and, even before completing the programme, secured a placement through one of LCF’s partner organisations, Kewal Foundation. After working there as a mobiliser for over three months, she moved to the Rural Short Scale Academy, where she now works as a mobiliser and placement coordinator. For Bajpai, the experience went beyond finding employment. “A few months ago, I was not confident enough to speak to people,” she said. “Recently, I spoke on stage at a Lighthouse event in front of district officials and other guests. …