Program - Stree Shakti

Our Stree Shakti program serves as an income generating opportunity for underprivileged women in this rural community. Due to a lack of education, skills and many cultural and social problems, which affect the communities of these small villages, families struggle to survive on a low, single income and are stuck in a continuous cycle of poverty. The women often stay home to care for the family while the men struggle to find work as laborers. Men often spend their earnings outside the home and as a result, there is little income to care for the family and children.

Stree Shakti helps to create economic stability for women to meet the needs of their desperately poor families. The program aims to empower women to become income earners in their family by providing them with the resources and training for producing and selling handicrafts. With design and market assistance from our staff, the women stitch quilts, cushion covers, handbags, placemat sets and a variety of beautifully handmade products, which are sold throughout the local community and abroad. The women receive the full benefits of their labor and are able to produce a sustainable income to ensure proper education and health for their family and children.

The program began in 2003, when Mrs. Swamy started teaching a woman quilting in her home. An artist and designer by trade, she believed in the empowerment of women and wanted to help a needy woman in the community earn an income. With training by Mrs. Swamy, the woman started making beautiful patchwork quilts that people wanted to buy. Driven by the growth of demand from friends who wished to help, the program grew and today now trains and employs over 70 women from the Purkal community and surrounding villages. The women receive training from Mrs. Swamy and her assistant who are qualified designers. Two women from

the community and various handwork that includes embroidery and crochet. In addition to quilts, the women produce a variety of beautiful handmade products such as fashion handbags, cushion covers and placemat sets. The products are made with hand-stitched embroidery and beautifully printed Indian fabric, creating a unique and colorful product. The women use natural fabrics and high quality materials to ensure quality production.

Self Help Groups: The women are organized into Self Help Groups which gives them greater control over their production and empowers them to earn. Essentially, SHG’s are independent entities that help to organize artisans into a small business operation that helps to provide management and structure for their work. They teach business and management skills and help the operation become accountable. The program also helps the women develop a savings account from their earnings for issuing loans to the group members when in need. In October 2007, the women formed three groupsknown as Aastha, Vishwas and Pragati. In July

2008, a fourth groupwas formed called Unnathi. Currently (September 2008) at least 15 women are working outside the Self-Help Groups selling their production to them for marketing. They will form into new SHGs when they identify among themselves homogeneity.

The organized groups are composed of approximately 10 women, which includes the management of three women working as a leader, assistant leader and accountant. They are responsible for managing and organizing the group according to the regulations set by a governing body. There are 4 group leaders who help to manage the groups and their work. PYDS provides the working capital free of cost to the women who are paid based on individual production and receive the full benefits of their labor. They are awarded a wage for their production and the remaining balance of the sale

proceeds, minus the material costs, are divided equally amongst the members at the end of the year as a bonus.This helps to ensure quality production. The women also understand the importance of saving. Each group has a bank account that manages a ‘Fund’ from collections made by the women that can permit inter-se lending. The money helps to provide financial security for the women and is used to provide a loan to a woman in the group if needed for any reason.

Since the women have been organized into Self Help Groups, they have become more responsible about their work and more confident. Through the Self Help Groups, there are more financial benefits that empower the women to perform. They understand the importance of quality and meeting production demands and therefore, are more regular in attendance and performance.

Health: In addition to helping the women earn an income, the Stree Shakti program also includes a health focus. The society has organized a healthcare scheme that ensures that the women and their families receive regular medical checkups, concessional medicines and care whenever in need. With Rs. 500 a year, they are given access to pathology, surgery, delivery, room stay, access to X-ray and other services. With the help of the ADOPT charity, the society has also constructed 52 toilets throughout the community and in the homes of the women. There is a plan to construct another 300 in the future. These initiatives have helped the women become

more health conscious and as a result, they are more likely to take their children to the doctor and practice proper hygiene. Upon construction of the new Stree Shakti building, the program will also begin to offer Yoga Classes to the women to help ensure regular physical activity and good health.

Education: Many of the ladies in the Stree Shakti program are young women interested in beginning a professional career in the city. In an effort to help prepare the young women for their future, 10 girls from Stree Shakti participate in the Young Adult Program at the PYDS Learning Center where they spend two hours a day undergoing English and Computer Training. Many youth in the area do not pursue additional education or training beyond 12th class and are unable to secure good jobs. The Young Adult Program addresses this problem and helps build the skills of youth in the

community so they can have better opportunities for their future.