Saheli Women
'Nothing is impossible here'
In the desert village of Bhikamkor, India, a powder-blue building full of women is the center of commerce and the epicenter of progress. The hum of sewing machines and conversation floats from the studio windows, as 35 artisans create special garments and homewares for small labels around the world. This is not a factory. This is the physical heart of Saheli Women.
Named the Hindi word for "female friend," the 6-year-old nonprofit atelier and social enterprise is devoted to empowering the women of Bhikamkor, whether through education, better health, or fair wages lifting them and their families out of poverty. They are paid to spend time crafting each piece sustainably, rather than frantically producing to hit some unreasonable quota. And they are supported in courageously venturing outside their homes and cultural norms.
Madhu Vaishnav was the visionary. In 2014, she founded the nonprofit Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian Development (IPHD), currently focused on India's rural villages. She had seen the extreme disadvantages impacting women in her husband’s native Bhikamkor, and was blown away by their resilience in taking care of their families. So IPHD adopted the village, and Madhu put together $100 in workshops offering local women a chance to learn new skills and change their circumstances. But getting involved meant disrupting everything they knew, and only five committed to what was then called the Saheli Woman Project.
This was a struggle Madhu knew on her own level, as she had been forbidden to work outside her home as a 23-year-old newlywed. It was part of her marriage contract, though she had a master’s degree in Indian history and a strong desire to contribute beyond her roles as mother and homemaker. But as Madhu got involved in her two sons' schooling, she learned English and was offered a job as a teacher. She convinced her family to let her accept, and it cracked the door to something much bigger.
Four years of teaching led to five years in social work for an American NGO. Canvassing the slums outside the massive city of Jodhpur, Madhu supported female sex workers with a range of services, from raising HIV/AIDS awareness to coordinating skills training and microfinance opportunities. This experience planted the first seeds of IPHD.
Then Madhu attended a wedding in Bhikamkor, where the reality of female villagers left her haunted. She was inspired to study community and social welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, and determined to turn what she learned into something that could change lives.
The key turned out to be sewing machines, as every woman in Bhikamkor had one from her marriage dowry. Mastering skills from embroidery to beadwork unlocked greater earning potential and social mobility. Saheli Women officially launched in 2015 under IPHD's umbrella, and as more and more brands became partners, Madhu spun the resources into community initiatives designed around Bhikamkor’s women and girls.
“No girls should be deprived of their education just because of small barriers,” Madhu says on the Saheli Women site. Characterizing the barriers as small tells you everything about the grit, heart and hope behind what she has created, of which she says: "Nothing is impossible here."
Inside the Studio
Full of light and color and the smell of chai spices, the studio is about "workers first." So the atmosphere crackles with contentment and camaraderie, some of the artisans sewing with their children on their laps. They are encouraged to take pride in the things they make, and the result is exceptional quality and connection between these women and their work.
Layers of Education
Empowering women empowers whole families and communities, so IPHD/Saheli Women approaches education with this ripple effect in mind. The first layer is developing artisans by teaching them traditional and modern techniques. From there they might train as managers, teachers or education advocates, facilitating free workshops on everything from human rights to financial literacy. The Saheli Community Center includes a children's library, and IPHD sponsors the schooling of all of the artisans' daughters (school/exam fees, uniforms and materials), with the goal of one day enrolling every young girl in the village.
Specialized Health Care
Health is the foundation of a happy and productive life, so it's a major focus of IPHD's work in Bhikamkor. Insurance is provided to all Saheli Women members, along with workshops and supplies related to women's health. Every woman and adolescent girl in the village has access to the Saheli Health Clinic. Staffed twice a month by a female nurse and female gynecologist, the clinic is a safe and comfortable place to seek medical attention for menstrual and reproductive health issues. To combat malnutrition and anemia village-wide, the Saheli Community Center's backyard is a kitchen garden where women are given space and seeds to grow vegetables for their families.
