By Susan Burke | Chair, GEN (Grassroots Empowerment Initiative)
The GEN (grassroots Empowerment Project) and its Indian NGO partner work to alleviate poverty in 60 villages in Rajasthan. Their handicrafts project has reached over 200 women to date. 100 of them now work through craft production centres to produce handicrafts for sale through commercial channels. Most of the rest work independently making clothes and other items for families in their village as a source of income.
Pepita (see her picture in attachments) is one of the beneficiaries of the GEN / End Poverty handicrafts production project. It was hard for her to get started, but here is what she told me:
'I heard about your handicrafts project from another women who was already part of your project, and knew I wanted to be part of it. I asked the leader of a nearby handicrafts centre to come to my house so I could find out more, but my husband who had been drinking heavily tried to stop her coming in! He also said I had too much to do with looking after our 4 children, housework and farming activities. This made me very angry! I made sure she was able to join me for a first discusson. I also began to get up very early to complete all my responsibilities, and allow time to do some handicrafts work myself. It took several months before I was able to get a small group of women to join me regularly at the house where we started working together making place mats, various kinds of bags, tassles, pouches and other items. This was only possible with the help of your project manager. Now, 3 years later I have a well equipped centre in my house, with sewing machines for 8 women. We are all earning from the sale of our products. Because I am earning my husband, my mother in law, and others in the household who tried to stop me at the start have accepted what I am doing through my handicrafts centre, and the centre occupies 1 room in the household compound.'
Pepita went on to say that her dream is that her handicrafts centre becomes a small industry engaging 10 women which provides regular income for all who work with her, with her as the head of the organisation.
This is just one example of what has already been done to improve the lives women in remote villages in the Tijara Block in Rajasthan. We want to expand our work so we reach more women like Pepita who can make a big difference to the situation of village women who we know are keen to join us.
A new catalogue of Tijara Craft handicrafts made under the project has just been produced and can be obtained from rachna@endpovertyindia.org or shweta@endpovertyindia.org. Please contact them if you would like to receive a copy.
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