Tanvi Handoo doesn’t mind picking up trash at a local beach.
She knows that as she removes garbage from a sandy shore here, her actual reach is global.
Handoo, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High, started the Tampa chapter of Girls Give Back — a global nonprofit that provides a platform and space for girls to become leaders in their communities and beyond. They raise awareness about social issues through community projects and services. They also connect throughout the world to discuss injustices, allowing these young women to cultivate skills to become leaders in their own communities.
“We try to find an area where we can come together and say, ‘I’ve noticed this in my area and community and I want to do something about it,’” Handoo said. “(It’s) where we do projects that raise money or awareness or both — and our group gives us the platform to do this and a place for young women to come together.
“And, from a global role, to get young women from around the world to hear each other, to talk to each other and see their perspectives and voices and realize that there are other young women out there, just like them, that feel just like them and that they can connect with,” she added.
Remarkably, Handoo started her Girls Give Back (GGB) chapter when she was a freshman, during the height of the COVID pandemic. At that time, it was a lot of online meetings and discussions until she could get to community projects and build up membership.
Each chapter plans and carries out events that are tailored to address the disparities and issues in their own communities.
Some events Handoo and her chapter have planned and executed include a Feminine Hygiene Drive for women and abuse victims; a “Moving FL Forward” forum with chapters across Florida; a global forum with the India chapter about the COVID crisis in India; beach cleanups; creating and mailing cards to kids at St. Jude’s Hospital; and the EQ4U series — webinars serving as a safe space for Tampa youth to discuss setbacks in mental health and learn about scientifically proven, healthy coping mechanisms.
Additionally, Handoo co-founded the India Chapter of GGB, was promoted to GGB Global Ambassador (second hand to founder, Salma Murphy) and led and participated in a multitude of events.
“A lot of us are very passionate about social justice advocacy, and we all have our range of passions,” Handoo said. “Be it mental health, feminism, climate justice — and this (group) allows them to become a leader and they don’t have to be a specific gender or identity or background to be a leader in their community or to create change.
“Anyone who is passionate about making a difference and change, can join,” she said.
As of now, the Tampa chapter has 15 members with nearly all of them coming from Pasco County schools, such as Land O’ Lakes and Wiregrass Ranch.
Globally, GGB is trying to expand more, including creating middle-school aged chapters, she said.
Handoo only started “recruiting” new members at the beginning of 2023, however, she quickly found other like-minded young women.
“I thought it was very interesting to have a global group that focused on making change in our communities,” said Wiregrass Ranch senior Meghna Manjith, a longtime friend of Handoo. “GGB is so broad and it has all these chapters and you can reach out to members, so it’s very diverse with plenty of resources. … And with the projects, you come into the community and interact with members of the community — it’s just helping everyone out and it makes that much bigger of an impact.”
Manjith said she is passionate about raising awareness on human trafficking in her community, including running Teens Battle Human Trafficking, a student-organization at her school.
Handoo, for her part, is passionate about feminism and fighting “sexism and gender bias in my own community.”
“Especially,” she added, “with my parents being Indian immigrants, so I’ve seen it in my home country and in America and it’s something that I’ve seen from a young age and continue to see.”
Another member, fellow Land O’ Lakes senior Chloe Stout, is deeply interested in speaking up for all social injustices, as long as all women’s voices are heard.
“I think it’s important to empower women and bring light to their struggles,” Stout said. “We need to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard, so people are not made to feel less than others or inferior.
“I think, as a group, we do a good job at that and that everyone is aware of the important topics and being able to talk to other women about these topics.”
As for Handoo, and her Tampa chapter, it’s all about reaching out — to support one another.
“Honestly, I think there’s a lot of people, girls and boys, that are passionate about these types of things, but aren’t encouraged to be active in their community,” she said. “I think about all those out there, and they have no voice, but we can come together and be a part of something that supports one another and do great things together.”
Girls Give Back Tampa Chapter
Details: Girls Give Back Global (GGB) was founded in May 2020 by Salma Murphy in Boston and quickly expanded to become a national and global non-profit. GGB provides a platform and space for girls to become leaders in their communities and beyond. The girls are able to lead projects they’re passionate about that target issues unique to their community, but also are able to lead global impact projects — while connecting with other passionate young women across the globe.
For more information, or to join the Tampa chapter, contact Tanvi Handoo at and visit the chapter’s Instagram: @ggbtampa.
For more information, visit www.girlsgivebackglobal.com.
Published July 04, 2023
