Women entrepreneurs have often been handed the short end of the stick in terms of sheer opportunity. But changing the world requires everyone to take a step ahead, and that’s exactly what MHRIL aimed to do with Project Saksham. Designed to help women become financially independent as well as to help them & their families overcome the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Project Saksham was implemented with United Way Of Mumbai in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and saw 144 women supported via occupational toolkits that contained materials and equipment worth Rs.15,000 each.

The first responsibility handed down to our team was to identify potential beneficiaries through their network of local partners. Additionally, our team reached out to a plethora of Industrial Training Institutes across the whole nation to find women willing to begin their entrepreneurial journey.

Based on the recommendations from the aforementioned teams, a list of enterprising beneficiaries based on their skills and willingness to learn was released. Later the project team interacted with these bright women to identify their needs in order to gauge the kind of support they required. Accordingly, they were allotted equipment and raw materials to kick-start their businesses. Some of the equipment provided to them were -

• Sewing machines, needles, and threads were issued to start a tailoring unit.
• Utensils, stove, oil, and staples were allocated to begin a food joint.
• A pottery wheel and clay were provided to make aesthetic clay artefacts.
• Raw material was given to build cane furniture and other products.
• A range of materials was issued to those who were interested in providing at-home beauty services.

The sole motivation for taking the above steps was to provide rural women with an opportunity to build profitable small-scale businesses and we are glad to share two success stories from this venture –

• KAVITA SURYAKANT MALI

A 43-year-old from Ghatkopar, Kavita always had an inclination towards baking, and even pre-COVID, she used to bake & sell cakes within her community. However, the pandemic wreaked havoc on her business. Through Project Saksham, we provided Kavita with a cake-making kit, which helped her not only restart her business but also provide a wider range of products to her customers.

• NOOR JAHAN SHER KHAN

42-year-old Noor Jahan decided to help her single-income household by way of a small-scale food business, which provided meals to the nearest Anganwadi Centre as well as tiffin services within the community. However, income was unsteady and the pandemic made things even more difficult. As part of Project Saksham, we provided Noor with a food service kit consisting of tools & equipment that would help her grow her business and income.

 To know more about Club Mahindra’s CSR initiatives, visit https://www.clubmahindra.com/csr