In 2011, two young ladies Vaishali Shah and Jyotika Bhatia set up an NGO called Srujna Charitable Trust in the bustling city of Mumbai. Till date, the NGO has transformed the lives of thousands of poor women across India by equipping them with the means to provide for themselves. In a conversation with Mahevash Muses, founder Vaishali Shah talks about how they achieved this feat and their upcoming fashion show, Jalsa.
Tell us about the work you do at Srujna.
Jyotika and I started Srujna to provide livelihood opportunities for underprivileged women.
The problem is that it is not possible for all women, particularly those who are uneducated, or don’t have any kind of community or family, to engage in gainful livelihood. Even women who are skilled and able to make some product don’t where to sell it, how to get orders, etc.
Via training and workshops, we empower women to become skilled artisans who make jewelry, bags, and other handmade products. For a sustainable impact, we ensure that they pick up business skills as well. Our mission is simple: every girl or woman in India who wants to earn a living gets the opportunity to do so.
Tomorrow you will be conducting your very first fashion show, Jalsa. Why have you chosen artisans to walk the ramp instead of regular models?
One of the biggest challenges with the work that we do is that women tend to drop out very easily. For example, if there’s some marriage at home or some challenge in the village, they don’t show up at work. One of the strategies we have devised to deal with this is to create a sense of pride in the work that they do. We are hosting our special fashion show for this very reason.
What do you hope to achieve with Jalsa?
Tomorrow, artisans from across rural and urban Maharashtra will be walking the ramp in their own creations. We have awards, judges, a professional compere, sponsorship*, the whole nine yards. Our fashion show will be just as good as a regular fashion show – only instead of models, the designers aka our artisans will grace the ramp. We have encouraged every woman to invite their friends and family to the show as well.
We hope Jalsa will boost our artisans’ morale and enhance their confidence. Given that the women are already very excited making preparations for the show, we are sure Jalsa will have a positive impact on their work ethic.
How can we—as a society—support your cause?
There are lots of ways to support us. First off, you can choose to volunteer, buy our products online, and recommend Srujna to your company and community. You can even set up a stall of our products within your place of work or society premises. You can find a whole list of ways to get involved on our website, and then get in touch with us at info@srujna.org or call us at +91 9930459441. The most important thing is the willingness to reach out and support the cause. As long as you are motivated, together we can figure out the best way for you to get involved.
*Sterling Talent Solutions is supporting Srujna support women and has also sponsored the fashion show Jalsa. Their vision is to support social causes in building a sustainable society.Â
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We’re a gaggle of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme
in our community. Your website offered us with valuable information to work on. You have performed an impressive job and our whole group shall be thankful to you.
The work Srujna is doing is very commendable! Hats off to the founders! Enjoyed reading this interview.