Jeroo Billimoria entered the sphere of social entrepreneurship by founding organizations that address systemic issues affecting youth. Born in Mumbai in 1965, she developed a methodology for building international networks that leverage government partnerships and technological infrastructure to provide emergency support, financial education, and rights-based advocacy to millions of children and young people across dozens of countries.
Academic Foundation and Initial Initiatives
After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Mumbai in 1986 and an M.A. in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in 1988, Billimoria completed an M.S. in Non-Profit Management at The New School for Social Research in 1992. Between 1991 and 1999, she served as a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. During this time, she launched Meljol in 1991, an organization focused on promoting citizenship skills among children from diverse backgrounds.
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In 1996, Billimoria established Childline India Foundation, a 24-hour emergency telephone service for children. By utilizing existing public telephone networks, she created a system to connect street children with emergency aid, hospitals, and police. Following support from government officials including Maneka Gandhi, the service expanded to 43 cities by 2002. She specifically employed former street children to manage the service, ensuring the outreach remained resonant with the target demographic.
Global Expansion and Financial Literacy
Billimoria scaled her methodology globally by founding Child Helpline International, which has processed over 140 million calls across 133 countries. Recognizing that many distress calls stemmed from economic hardship, she launched Aflatoun, an organization focused on financial management skills that has reached 8 million children. In 2011, she founded Child and Youth Finance International (CYFI). By 2019, CYFI had collaborated with 64,000 partners across 175 countries before transferring its initiatives to global institutions.
Current Endeavors
Her more recent professional activities include serving on the advisory board of Deedmob and founding the One Family Foundation, which focuses on incubating social innovations. As a founding member of the Catalyst 2030 movement, later rebranded as Catalyst Now, she continues to work on systemic change initiatives intended to accelerate progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Fast facts
- Born: 1965, Mumbai, India
- Education: University of Mumbai, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, The New School
- Founded Meljol: 1991
- Founded Childline India Foundation: 1996
- Founded Child and Youth Finance International: 2011
- Child Helpline International reach: 133 countries
- Aflatoun outreach: 8 million children
- Current organization: Catalyst Now
Questions readers ask
What was the mission of Child and Youth Finance International?
CYFI aimed to increase financial literacy and inclusion for young people through resource-sharing and global partnerships.
What is the primary function of Catalyst Now?
It is a movement dedicated to accelerating the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by promoting system-level change.
