SELF-EMPLOYMENT
PROGRAMS
OUR COMMMUNITIES
The effects of the Corona-Virus pandemic not just affected people's health but also their livelihood. This was especially true for the sex worker communities in Mumbai, Maharashtra who had been living without a source of income for many months during the lockdown.
As an already disadvantaged and outcasted community, these women have faced an attack on their existence due to the pandemic and have risked their lives more so than ever before to earn for their families.
Given the condition of this community, we have identified a small group of women - both sex workers and children of sex workers to partake in our skill-development programs.
These are headed by a trained professional who has expertise in tailoring, candle-making, diya-making and more in our Ghatkopar centre.
CANDLE & DIYA-MAKING
PROGRAMME
In an attempt to provide an alternative livelihood to a small group of sex workers in Ghatkopar, Mumbai - we created a tea candle-making program in 2020 including a trained professional, daily classes, and end-to-end marketing to ensure sales of the tea candles made. We successfully sold more than 30,000 candles. All profits made from the sale were given back to the women involved in the production.
Owing to the generous response we received both from supporters and eager women who wanted to join such a program, we have now extended the skill learning to decorative diya-making in 2021.
With a display of 11 decorative diyas ranging from Rs. 250-Rs.350 along with a pack of tea light candles, it is our attempt to bring dignity, safety and a secured livelihood into the lives of these women.
BLOCK-PRINTING PROGRAM
Owing to the success of the Candle-Making program, our next steps included devising a program that could lead to a greater generation of income for the sex worker community.
Our industry professional has been appointed to train small batches of woman to hand-block, sew and stitch which will soon be marketed and sold across India,
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