EP#170 STUDENTS FOR SAFETY with Vedanshi Vala and Ravi Nichols

"Vedanshi Vala is a second-year student pursuing her Bachelor of Science at UBC Vancouver, a thinker, and a learner. Vedanshi believes in creating safer communities for everyone, and most especially, empowering women. This passion led Vedanshi to co-founding BOLT Safety Society, a fully youth-run federal non-profit raising awareness about sexual violence, and most recently, the August 31st launch of the 'Safe Hubs' project in collaboration with local businesses to create a network of safe spaces for survivors of domestic abuse. As the Executive Director of the organization, Vedanshi has spearheaded this initiative with extreme determination, and looks forward to what she and her team can accomplish together next." Ravi Nichols is a grade 12 student attending Vancouver College. He discovered BOLT through a neighbour and has been an integral member in making BOLT Safety Society what it is today. When Ravi first joined the team, he knew almost nothing about the issues of domestic violence and rape. However, throughout the last three years, he has learned how important it is for everyone, regardless of race or gender, to be aware of the issue. Ravi led the BOLT team in federally incorporating BOLT Safety Society in July 2020, and has worked on various other projects such as the 'Safe Hubs' initiative, as well as training new team members. He is excited to discuss BOLT, and what the future holds for the organization.