Self Help Groups

Depressed, Uneducated Housewife Breaks all barriers to become most important part of the Self Help Group & Trainer!

Pranali belongs to a poor family background.  She saw her family fighting to survive on a single income. She was married off at the age of 19 because she had dared to love. Pranali yearned to do so much more in life – she was determined to become an independent woman with her own identity in addition to being a wife and mother to two children.

In the midst of her ordeal, she came to know about Pragati Foundation’s jewelry training program through community leader. Initially, she was a bit hesitant and scared of being part of the project. How was she to know that the training she took as a hobby could really become a game changer in her life!

  

Being an introvert, she found it really difficult to interact with the other ladies of the group. Her trainer says,” Pranali was a quiet, shy girl when she joined; it was very difficult for me to comprehend if she even understood the intricacies of the course. But she made sure she was regular to class, and in the end I could see the amount of grasping power she had in her. She was the only one to emerge as the brightest in her batch.”

Pranali realized her potential when the training of 3 months had come to an end. She had excelled in her training. She proudly says,” I had not only learnt how to speak with other people but I had also become a confident woman. It made me grow out of my inferiority complex and have a stand of my own. All this was possible because of Pragati foundation and their A2A (Awakening to Abundance) program.”—- QUOTE

This was all three years back. Now Pranali has grown herself to be a trainer and she conducts her own jewelry training program under Pragati foundation. Currently part of the Laavanya Self Help Group (SHG), she says it has taught her the value of teamwork and coordination. She hopes to expand their market so as to increase their sales and reach more people. She looks forward for a mode of regular sales and also hopes to export her jewelry.

 

Slum dweller to  Jewellery Trainer

I (Trupti Chavan) was lucky to get introduced to Pragati Foundations’s “Awakenign to abuncance program when I was just 18 year old.  It is best thing happened to me.  My whole families responsibility is on me.  My husband’s income is not enough.  I am proud to say that my mother and brother and my husband’s parents and siblings we all stay together like a one happy family.  I learnt Jewelery making from trainers from Pragati Foundation.  Now I train other women in communities.  I am an active member of our Self Help Group (SHG) “Lavanya”  our Group made turnover of over Rs 5 lac in last  year i.e 2015-16.  We are around 120 ladies in our SHG and we work as Team.  Some of take manufacturing, some take up marketing activity etc in different parts of Pune.  Now we plan to establish our Brand “Lavanya” and export our jewelery items.  Their quality is much appreicated by customers.  We wish to keep growing with support from Pragati Foundation and our Mentors.

Trupti Chavan

SHG Member   & Trainer,  Dapodi

SHG- Lavanya, Pune

 

Story of Incubation

Igniting Ambition……nurturing creativity……a rolling stone……seed to fruit tree……LAAVANYA – hobby to business…..hundred to lakhs…..a cyclic growth…….

Young girls enjoy trinkets……….women love jewelry………but can slum residing women see an entrepreneurship future in this, can they afford to indulge & dream, do they believe that they can do it, do they think it’s possible?

Laavanya has made this possible.

From a group of 24 teenagers in a hobby class, one dreamer & believer emerged. Getting appreciation, experiencing the potential for earning, she decided to go along with Pragati Foundation, resulting in the organic growth of – Laavanya (christened by Ms. Pritesh Dagar) ‘handmade funky jewelry’ – source of livelihood.

Young girls, housewives trapped in slum culture, no self-belief, limited to ‘my home and thereabouts’, began to see that ‘they too can’ and are doing so.

Laavanya– as yet,an informal group of 3 women,formulated a training program with a syllabus and training manual. They are training women of their own background, continuously creating new designs, researching on raw material. They are open to training & idea inputs   and  are now taking charge and ownership of Laavanya’s future. These are women, who a year back, said “family will now allow, do not have any time”. Now, they find time, energy, strength and forbearance. They, who wouldn’t step out of the house are now ready to traverse the length & breadth of Pune to train & sell their produce…….amazing transformation & empowerment to make time their slave. They, who would go ice-cold, tremble and stutter if a stranger came to them, now confidently sell their wares, take decisions, manage their family, attend training programs and  meetings, participating freely, speaking with conviction.

Trupti 1st trained @Chikhalvadi…..Pratiksha emerged, Trupti & Pratiksha trained @ Chavanvasti…….Pranali emerged

Motivating and mobilizing potential trainers is a continuous process…..now 2 ladies from SomatanePhata are ready to take on the role. While training them to become trainers, a TOT syllabus is being prepared….the next step!

Trainings have been held in 5 urban slum communities for 80 women, in a peri-urban locality for 28 women and in a Rehabilitation Center, for 27 Schizophrenic persons……of the 135 persons trained, 25 are actively selling their produce. The year 2014-15 saw sales worth INR 1,60,650.

This story has many teachers & parents…..

Kalindi Bhatt (MSIHM&CT) gave the 1st impetus by supporting the training and still does, Shruti Bhagdikar introduced the technique of wire winding.

Pritesh Anantkrishnan, who introduced bead-weaving technique, color-sense, finish  & quality, introduced a page on facebook. Usha Shrikant continues giving design, quality, range of products, finesse, inputs.

Innumerous well-wishers – always encouraging, suggesting, supporting, buying lading to more opportunities and learning.

KetanDossa was  instrumental  in  giving  the  opportunity to participate  in public  exhibitions through his flea market in Phoenix City Mall….after which the ladies have not looked back……now, they are champs at travelling across the city, handling security checks, speaking in public……many exhibitions, sales in IT companies, colleges, individuals, job-work, orders…….not enough workers!!!!

Laavanya’s aim is to become a platform for creative people, trainers, crafts-persons, buyers to come aboard and make a beautiful, happy, fulfilled community.