Women - Stree Shakti

The Impact of the Program

Over the last five years, we have helped provide skill training and employment to over 70 women in need. The program has made drastic improvements in the lives of the women and the well being of their families.

The women are earning an income nearly equal to what their husband brings home, giving them greater independence and control over how funds are used. The provisions are now paid for by the women and the family is eating better, as a result. They are also learning the importance of savings. Through a group fund with contributions made by the women, they are able to accrue a savings for issuing loans to the women when in need

Not only has the program helped to improve the economic situation of the women and their families, but it has brought about a personal change in the women and how they are viewed in the community. With the capacity to earn an income for their family, the overall status of the women has improved. The women have more respect in the community and greater self-confidence. Similarly, they are more empowered to make decisions in favor of their family’s welfare, such as health and education. The women have gained a new found aspiration for an improved quality of life for their self and children.

Leadership

The program aims to ensure the women are actively involved in helping to manage their work. We aim to give them the skills and confidence to participate and make decisions about the program’s activities. Through the Self Help Groups, there are 4 leaders that are in charge of managing the group’s production and ensuring quality work. The women have been participating in the program for many years and serve as mentors by providing support and helping to empower the other group members. The women meet regularly with other group leaders to discuss production plans, the group’s finances and address concerns. The society has also sponsored the education of two women from the village by putting them through a women's polytechnic for textile designing in Dehradun. The women went through a training program that has helped to develop their knowledge and skills about design and now they are serving as Supervisors for helping to manage Stree Shakti. The women work with the Self Help Groups to help provide training, manage production, quality control and oversee the stock inventories and accounts.

The society has helped many women in the community improve their quality of life. With resources and opportunities for training and education, the women are capable of leading a better life to support theirself and their family.

Profile of Women:

Malika, 42, is a quiet and humble woman who has suffered a great deal at the expense of her drunkard husband. A drunkard and a chauvinist, he made the lives of Malika and her daughter, Shivani, miserable by abuse and reduced them to poverty by selling all their lands and drowning himself in alcohol. Malika now is able to earn money through our Stree Shakti program that pays wages every Saturday for the women’s work. Shivani participates in the PYDS education program for youth and after completing her 12th class has joined the Bachelor of Tourism Program where she hopes to become a travel executive and support her mother.

Sonal, 22, joined our program after she was abandoned by her husband - a drunkard who always beat her and finally left her when the daughter was born. She now stays in a nearby village with her parents and takes the Stree Shakti bus that transports her to the production center where she is able to earn a wage to care for her child. With donations from our kind donors, the society operates a bus free of cost for students, teachers and women in the Stree Shakti program.

Aarti, 36, was leading a happy and comfortable life before losing her husband to an illness he contracted while doing work as a carpenter in the Middle East. All the money earned from his work disappeared after trying to save his life with expensive treatments. With help from PYDS, Aarti and her daughter are able to rebuild. Aarti is good with embroidery and her talents are now helping her earn a good wage for her and her daughter, who participates in the PYDS education program for youth.

Meenu, 37, is a woman with tremendous will power. With a polio affected left leg, her parents married her to a much older mentally ill balanced man. Even though she had learnt to sew it was impossible for her to go to the city and earn. It was Meenu’s need which in fact was the stimulus and motivation for starting Stree Shakti. Meenu isnow a very senior member of our workforce helping to lead our team of women. Unfortunately due to the lack of toilet facilities available for women in the village, she lost her second daughter to a Cobra bite when she went to the forest to relieve herself. Thanks to the toilets built by PYDS, the women do not need to use the open to ease themselves anymore.

The society is also sponsoring the education of two girls from the village by putting them through a women's polytechnic for textile designing. They aim to develop design skills and knowledge for helping to contribute as a Supervisor for running Stree Shakti