Empowerment

Women in rural as well as many urban parts of Rajasthan may not have much formal education, but the one skill they possess is sewing. With the help of an organization, many of these women now have the opportunity to put this skill to good use and generate additional household income. This is empowering them in ways unthinkable a few years ago, and changing the very fabric of their lives.

Literacy rate in India might be cited at around 74% (in 2011), but the ground reality is that even among the so-called educated youth, 'employability' remains a key challenge. The main reasons behind this are a lack of communications and other finer skills. This is an important gap that needs to be bridged, and we bring to you an organization in Bangalore committed to doing this from the past several years, with great success.

Read about the efforts of a unique financial inclusion programme that aims at empowering women in the the rural parts of the hilly state of Uttaranchal where employment opportunities are scarce, infrastructure is patchy and banks are practically virtually non-existent.

The wonderful tradition of village women gathering around a common oven to make rotis may have become a thing of the past in that state. But the 'sanjha chulha' (community kitchen) has been rekindled in the villages of the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, albeit with a small modification. Keeping up with the changing times, instead of the earthen oven, it is the sanjha gas that the Shekhawati women are sharing today. There are many advantages of a sanjha gas facility.

He has the courage to raise voice against the social evil of bride trafficking, enslaving and exploitation of women. He has the passion to inspire and lead a 300-kilometer ‘March Against Female Foeticide and Gender Inequality’. He has the perseverance to fight all odds because he wants to build an India where women will live with respect and equality. Meet Shafiq ur Rahman Khan, the founder of ‘Empower People’.

The Sahariya tribe of Baran district in Rajasthan is classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribe. For years, they were forced to work as bonded agricultural labourers by the landed gentry of the region. The past decade has seen them fighting for their rights, and now with the help of some local NGOs, governmental support and their own unified efforts, they are slowly reaping the benefits of their struggle to be treated as free and equal citizens of this nation.

Organ donation is still a relatively fledgling concept in India, and people are still grappling its moral, social, religious and other implications in the Indian context. Mohan Foundation has been promoting organ donation since 1997, and helps people understand what it entails - the rewards, the fears and the process. In the end, you could be gifting life to not one but several beneficiaries.

Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world, has managed to carve out a unique identity for itself. The industrious residents of the slum have taken to recycling waste from across the country in order to eke out a living. Now, a unique initiative is helping them capitalize on their expertise and move up the value chain. Let's take a look at what Dharavi Diary is doing.