In New Delhi, like elsewhere in India. women are the target of domestic violence and abuse, and survival becomes the biggest challenge they face. Often, nonprofits like Project Why step in to try and empower them to take on the challenge head on by giving them the skills needed to become change makers within their household. This is what we strive to do at our Khader women’s centre. The Project WHY sewing circle is part of this effort.

The Project WHY Sewing Circle has changed the lives of scores of women, but none more so than for Renu Karotia, the sewing teacher.

Six years ago, Renu’s husband lost his job following a work accident. the family lost their home and incurred huge debts. Being unskilled, Renu had very few options. After she joined the Project Why sewing class, she soon started taking small sewing jobs at home. It was a struggle to put food on the table every day.

When Project Why lost its sewing teacher, we felt that Renu had the skills to take on the job. Though hesitant at first, she grew into the job and is now very proud of her students. She has enrolled her children in the centre. She is slowly paying back her debts and knows that she holds the key to her future.

The sewing circle of Khader began its activities over 10 years ago in Madanpur Khader, one of the many villages that dot New Delhi. Since then over 1000 women have been trained by Project Why as part of its women empowerment programme.

This programme was initiated with the belief that women were true agents of change and that giving them the means  to earn a livelihood would go a long way in transforming the lives of their families. This held particularly true in an environment where men often drank and domestic violence was prevalent. At Project Why they not only learnt a skill but also to read and write, thus helping them to become small entrepreneurs!

The sewing circle of Khader has been a resounding success. Over 80% of the women have found some form of  gainful activity be it within their homes or even outside.

Today we are looking at honing their skills further and for this we need the following:

Iron                                                   1000/-

Interlocking machine                      4400/-

Pico machine                                   5600/-

Ironing board                                   2000/-

Cutting table                                    4000/-

6-month salary for Renu             60,000/-

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Total amount needed:               77,000/-

This would enable them to find employment in the garment industry where such skills are needed.

Please help spread the word about a fundraiser for Renu’s sewing circle by joining this linky list:

Renu is a woman who braved tough circumstances to not just earn a living, but also empower others to do the same.

Support her journey through THIS FUNDRAISER.

If you’re donating from India, your donation is 50% tax deductible under section 80G, and the entire expense account would be put up on the Project Why website once the amount is raised.

Join the Project Why family by supporting Renu, so she can help other women like herself. No amount is too small, and every little bit would help make Renu’s dreams become a reality.

SHARE the Fundraiser after you’ve made a donation: each share leads to at least three donations!

You can donate in different currencies like USD and Pounds. Just change the currency at the top right of the screen.

 Do you think a society is served best by educating and empowering its women? Would you support Renu as she works to empower other women in need?