Women in the entire Indian subcontinent have been subject to societal stereotypes for centuries. Skilled though they are, they rarely get the opportunity to showcase their talent for their own betterment. With the advent of modern times, the urban woman has learnt to be self-reliant. The same, however, cannot be said for the rural areas of the country.
It takes a lot of effort and initiative to bring these women to bring about a significant change in their lives. One such initiative lies in the remoteness of Inderhama in Kashmir Valley, through lush green meadows and mountainous terrains where the facility of Shehjar is located. Started off in 2007, Shehjar acts as a home to many orphans and develops the skills of women from the remotest corners of the valley, employing them and making them financially independent. They begin by mapping out remote villages and areas of the Valley and mobilizing women therein to make their own living and develop skills which will empower them to live a life of dignity and honor.
One such woman is Tahira, a young and vibrant lady, barely 26 years of age. Shehjar approached her when she was 22 and was living a life full of financial stress, which had ultimately taken a toll on her health. She like so many others at the facility was given the basic training of cooking, baking, food processing, cutting, tailoring and embroideries. These training made them feel confident about themselves. They befriended each other and became as good as family members. It was then that their supervisor sent them to Ahmedabad where they got acquainted with the intricacies of baking breads and cookies, ways of natural preservation of foods and a whole lot more. After this session, they were given facilities to utilize their learning from Ahmedabad and turned into mini-entrepreneur. Today Tahira and her friends can actually process spices, make pickles and cookies and sell them at their own will. They make their own living and support their families, which was earlier not possible.
The craft section of the facility is no less. Around 30 women, specializing in Kashmiri embroideries and tailoring create and work in a homely atmosphere and are delighted to be associated with the Shehjar group. They are given a thorough knowledge of fashion trends and contemporary designs which help the create elegies in their craft.
But that is not it – what is fascinating is that the story of this empowerment originates in Jharkhand and ends up in Kashmir. The fabrics which the women of Shehjar skillfully embroider are handwoven by women in the tribal villages of Jharkhand. Each step in their product creates delight for a skilled lady and her entire family. The bar of boundaries is erased.
Today, Shehjar employs approximately 50 skilled women and provides the facilities to sustain themselves independently and reclaim their identity which has been lost in the folds of societal stereotypes over a period of time.
For More information, visit www.kashmirbox.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Kashmir Box Online Private Limited
Contact Person: Sajid Nahvi
Email: Send Email
Phone: 9796659999
City: Srinagar
State: Jammu and Kashmir
Country: India
Website: www.kashmirbox.com
Source: www.abnewswire.com
