Our Indiegogo campaign is closed, but our fundraising continues. Please support Save Her A Seat here.

Thanks to you, our supporters, we raised $19,625  here on Indiegogo (approximately $17,800 net after IG fees and perk production and shipping costs). With other offline and in-kind donations (still coming in) we've raised $21,000. Although we didn't reach our goal, we know SHAS will still have substantial impact in India. We continue to connect with CSR programs, philanthropists, foundations, and government agencies to support our work.

The screening tour is just a small part of a much larger campaign. Please reach out to us at production at eyesfull dot com if you'd like more information on how you can support Save Her A Seat.

Thanks so much for believing in the power of film, and Selvi's story as a catalyst for social change.

-- Elisa Paloschi

For every $10 you donate, you will sponsor a girl to see the film in India. 

“This is a story that can spark a change in someone’s life.”
Zainab Salbi, Founder, Women for Women International

WHAT IS SAVE HER A SEAT?
In India’s patriarchal society, women are routinely marginalized and their rights violated. A story of courage and personal triumph, Driving with Selvi sheds light on child marriage and gender-based violence, and seeks to inspire viewers through one woman's eleven-year journey of transformation and empowerment.  SHAS is a three tier campaign which includes screenings, facilitated dialogue and commercial driver training.  We are currently raising fund for our Grassroots Screenings and Educational components.

GRASSROOTS SCREENINGS

• 30-day 30 community screening bus tour, accompanied by women’s rights activists, with Selvi at the wheel.
• Local partner groups (NGO, universities etc.) will host, facilitate and promote the screenings in their respective communities.  

GOALS Increase awareness and open dialogue about child, early and forced marriage and gender based violence.  

EDUCATION

• Provide hosts with facilitator screening guide.
• Local NGOs, activists and Selvi herself will conduct post-screening conversations pertaining to issues addressed in the film and how it affects their communities.  

GOALS Shift societal attitudes toward women’s role in society and the workplace 

COMMERCIAL DRIVING TRAINING

• Promote driving as a viable job opportunity.
• Endorse local women’s driving training programs.
• Provide bursaries to 10-15 women for 6 month commercial driver training program with partner organizations.

GOALS Increase personal and economic agency through driving training. Create safe transportation alternatives for women.

THANK YOU
There are millions of Selvis out there, searching for a better life. Let’s share Selvi’s inspirational story and support women and girls in building their futures. Whatever you can do, we hope you’ll take that step now – any amount, big or small, really makes a big difference...Together we can make it happen. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Elisa, Selvi and the whole Driving with Selvi team  

“This is an uplifting and inspiring film that is also a sober reminder of the violence and injustice done to women in this country. In overcoming the odds, Selvi  sends a powerful message of hope and the change that is possible.” Monique Villa CEO, Thomson Reuters Foundation

HIGH ROAD T-SHIRT
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Selvi, like so many girls living in India, struggles with gender violence and poverty as a child. One day in deep despair, she chooses to escape, going on to become South India’s first female taxi driver. We first meet Selvi at a girls’ shelter in 2004 – timid, soft-spoken, a fresh runaway from a difficult life. Over a ten-year journey, we see a remarkable transformation as Selvi finds her voice and defies all expectations – learning to drive, starting her own taxi company, leading educational seminars, and much more. Driving with Selvi highlights the challenges that millions of devalued women and girls in India face. In a society where women are often considered expendable or worthless, Selvi is exceptional – a charming, strong, and utterly courageous young woman who moves beyond the pain she’s experienced to create a new life.

“I think sharing this film is not just important in the Indian context. I think it’s important to share in a global context to change the narrative around women as victims.”
– Kavita Ramdas, Ford Foundation

About the Director
With more than 25 years’ experience in documentary production as a director, producer and cinematographer, Elisa Paloschi is president of Eyesfull, a Toronto- based independent production company dedicated to non-fiction documentaries that reflect the diversity of the human voice.

1. SHARE THIS PAGE – Use the Indiegogo share tools above to let others know about this campaign. on twitter and instagram @drivingwselvi and facebook.com/drivingwithselvi

2. BECOME AN OFFICIAL AMBASSADOR – We’re creating a worldwide network of passionate people to work with us on this project. Our ambassadors will commit to regularly posting about the film and the issues addressed on social media, sometimes write guest blogs, brainstorm ideas for the audience engagement campaign, and ultimately bring the film to their schools and communities.

"A powerful story and one of the most inspirational films. At the core of the story is an issue that is all-too prevalent in countries around the world, and that’s gender-based violence....ultimately Selvi’s story is about hope and resilience...”–John Beed, U.S. Mission Director for India, USAID