“It’s not just about providing them a skill or a job or an income,” says Shruti, “but about giving them something that will provide sustainable growth for years to come”. She has helped them get their Aadhar cards and enrolled them in schemes like the PM’s Jan Dhan Yojana. She’s also arranged for them to attend tailoring and design courses to sharpen their skills. The women now clearly understand the importance of being financially independent and being in control of their own lives. There’s also counselling to ensure team members do not fall victim to middlemen who might attempt to exploit vulnerable women.
Reena, a young artisan at Roooh, is somewhat shy when I tell her I want speak to her about her work. And yet, when she begins talking about her work and her skills, her voice is alive with optimism. She’s come a long way from the domestic violence she endured before she was abandoned by her husband. Reena was depressed for a long time after that. When she returned to her parents’ home, she was seen as a burden. A chance meeting with Shruti at a sewing centre was the first step to turning her life around. Even after joining Roooh, it took her time to move beyond the trauma she had endured. Today, she dreams of living on her own and marrying again though her brothers don’t want her to (she earns more than them and the family would lose out on her income!).