Chaakri means Seva/Service in Hindi and literally translates to service options for rural and underprivileged women in Raigad and Chaakri is what they are calling this. A full volunteer-run organization, it was launched in 2005 and promotes employment amongst women of rural Raigad coming from marginalized backgrounds.
Raigad is known to be a male-dominated zone with many social issues like child labor, child marriages, and lack of education especially in the favor of the girl child. Tribal culture and lifestyle with scarce resources and poverty-stricken people resulted in severe malnutrition, health problems and high suicide rates among people. Raigad had an unfavorable environment for the survival of anyone, let alone women!
Chaakri, a unit of Sa-Ni-Sa- An NGO run end-to-end ‘By Women for Women’ came as a beacon of hope for many women who had millions of dreams to thrive, survive and had aspirations to do something for their families or children. Chaakri has really worked well toward the economic empowerment of these ladies by making them financially independent and building up a positive mindset among them.
The social enterprise hires rural women and trains them to make ‘Khakras’, a traditional Gujarati dish. These Khakras are not only sold in the Indian subcontinent but also worldwide which is of great pride to these women. What started as a two-woman unit in 2005 has now grown into a current strength of 90 women hired from across 18 villages. Isn’t that an outstanding score?
When everyone keeps talking about Women Empowerment, Chaakri shows what real women empowerment is by employing females from less privileged backgrounds and gifting them a life they couldn’t possibly ever think of possessing. Women who are self-reliant and work maintaining their dignities in a safe, secure and positive work environment. That is Chakri for you.
Not only financially, Chaakri gives travel fare, medical check-ups, free sanitary pads and much more to support its employees. And if this wasn’t all, Chaakri provides free education to the children of the employed women. But to be able to do this the unit needs more space and funds. Its recent campaign along with Milaap was with the same vision at hand of empowering more and more women.
A bigger place for Chaakri would mean supporting 500 plus women and transform their and their next generations lives, support about 35 villages, support the women and their families in terms of education, health, nutrition and skill development.
Chaakri is currently in need of funds and has tied up with Milaap for a crowdfunding campaign. You can help them bridge the gap between no space and funds and many women waiting to get empowered, you can help them save lives and help them create a self-sustaining model. You can touch the lives of many women and gift them confidence and dignity this women’s day. Join hands and support at the link below (www.milaap.org/fundraisers/chaakri)
Winningstree supports this noble cause and joins hands with Chaakri! May you keep shining and touching lives!!
