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>View discussions about this entry Country: India
Organization: Apne Aap Women Worldwide - Ekta Self Help Group
Sector Focus - Business
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2005
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Project URL: http://www.apneaap.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Formed a Self Help Group of community women who are at high risk of exploitation so that we can start a small business and become economically self sufficient.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - We believe that lack of educational and economic opportunity is the root cause of human trafficking and slavery, so having access to vocational skills training and employment will empower our community and prevent our risk to exploitation. Using business as a tool to fight trafficking is innovative because it is often the work of NGOs and government agencies that provide services to the vulnerable communities. But it is high time for businesses to join hands with the civil sector in order to provide much needed employment opportunities for the communities at risk of exploitation.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - First we began in the Income Generation Program of Apne Aap, where we learned marketable skills, including cutting, stitching and embroidery, as well as business skills, such as accounting, basic computer knowledge, and English language. Apne Aap staff members sought out buyers for the handicraft products we were making and we started taking orders from both local and international markets. With these orders, we started receiving a monthly salary, which empowered us to be economically independent and thus less vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Our most recent activity was the formation of a Self Help Group, which allowed us to open an independent bank account and a government loan to start our small business.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - Because there are new women in our community center who want training, we want to open our own production center, separate from the community center where we currently work. This will give us more space to work, while allowing more women from our community to receive training at Apne Aap's community center. Our production unit will not be an NGO, but rather a cooperative where the we will set up the rules and regulations of the company. This production center will manufacture handicrafts for both local and international markets, with the intent of being a for-profit business. The first few years of operation may be subsidized by an NGO, but gradually the business will generate enough income to be fully sustainable. As it grows, our business can offer positions to more women in need.
Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - Our Self Help Group, under the guidance of Apne Aap Women Worldwide, has strong relationships with Made By Survivors (USA) and local buyers in Kolkata. Apne Aap Women Worldwide is an all-India anti-trafficking organization that created the community centers where we were trained. Made by Survivors, a US-based business, is our main buyer that places orders for various products. We began our partnership with them after their Executive Director visited the community center and now they place continuous orders that serve as our main source of financial stability. The local buyers are sought out through personal and professional contacts, then sensitized to the issue so that they are motivated to place orders.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - We have already undergone a dramatic change in that we are aware of women's rights issues, we have acquired a vocational skill set, gained self-confidence, and have become more financially stable.
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - The training program at Apne Aap's community centers has served at least 100 young women and men. The orders from Made by Survivors employs nine young women full-time, and another 10 women part-time. With the opening of the production center, we plan to employ our group of nine young women and an additional ten women from other NGOs that have similar training programs.
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - The women are now well aware of the issue of human trafficking and can educate the other community members about it. These women receive a monthly salary which directly helps them improve their living conditions.
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - The women who take part in the training programs, the women who belong to the Self Help Group, and the women who take the job work and receive payment.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Training of the women has been and continues to be supported by Apne Aap Women Worldwide, and the payment of the handicrafts has been covered by Made by Survivors and the local buyers. Some of the machinery was donated by The Emancipation Network Charities, Rotary Club, Simon-Fraser University, and other local Indian nationals. To begin the production center, The Emancipation Network Charities has agreed to support the initial start-up costs.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: 9 women working fulltime for monthly stipend of 250 INR What is the potential demand for your innovation? - While we had the strong support of Apne Aap Women Worldwide to form our Self Help Group, we believe that any group of women in the world can replicate this model. With determination and strong leadership, groups of women can come together to start small businesses, take small loans, and become economically self-sufficient. When women listen to each other we can learn and change our lives. We can share our strengths and that is what we will do, and what we encourage women everywhere to do.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - After partaking in a financial accounting workshop at Apne Aap, we realized there are many expenses to starting a small business. Space rent and utilities, equipment costs, raw materials costs, and salaries are all expenses that will need to be covered as we go forward. These costs will be the main barrier to our financial stability, however we are optimistic that we will have enough product orders from Made by Survivors in order to make our business profitable.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - When we first joined Apne Aap Women Worldwide, we did not have any vocational skills. But when they offered the training course in stitching and embroidery, we were all very excited to join and earn money. Receiving our monthly stipend is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences and it allows us to have more financial security, which is extremely important to avoid the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. When we started getting more orders, we thought that it would be good to open our own production center so that we could handle more orders. Also, it would allow other women to be trained in Apne Aap's community center, who then could find employment and achieve the same level of economic empowerment that we have.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - My name is Mumtaz. I live in Topsia with my husband and children. Previously, my husband drank alcohol and would often hit me. But after coming to Apne Aap's community center and learning about my rights as a woman, I had the courage to stand up against my husband. He doesn't hit me now. I started working at Apne Aap's center and was able to provide my children with good food and a safe environment. My dream is to open the production center so that we can work and earn more money for our families.
Contact Information:
Mumtaz Khatoon
Ekta Self Help Group member Apne Aap Women Worldwide - Ekta Self Help Group (Self Help Group) Discussions about this entry
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Preventing Trafficking with Economic Empowerment
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Dear Mumtazdi I belive that you can make change your society by empowering the other women and Adolescent girls. You are a brave lady and hard worker. Your dream will come true one day.
Shabana
Hello, Mumtaz , it is tremendous to see you here in the change makers compition. The problem you faced and solved by your courage is trmendous and unforgettable. You truly can make change in your society.
Congratulations Mumtaz ji. We have seen how everyday you have mobilized the women from Muslim orthodox families, we have seen how you fought with their as well as your own families, we have seen how you negotiated with the local political and religious leaders when they have tried to create problems in your work.
Mumtaz Apa,
We feel proud of your achievement. You have inspired a community of women who always knew that they have no worth as human beings. Today we all feel so proud to see your group of women beaming with confidence fighting for their rights.
It's incredible to think how far the women have come since the first days of Apne Aap's community center in Topsia. Now they have formed this Self Help Group and have grand plans to open a production center. Hopefully we can make this dream a reality!