A Struggle towards dignified Life……
When several textile mills were closed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, around 1.82 lakh families became jobless. The JIVANI programme started when many such families, that had lost their livelihoods, approached organizations like Janpath for support for their home-based work. Considerable number of women from such families were forced to move into sex trade and clinical tests and trials (which are illegal) and put their life into great health risk. JIVANI programme is helping women’s group from different parts of Ahmedabad to live dignified life by helping them to gain access to reasonable market, to understand market trends, designs, and patterns, and make their clothes. Today, ladies from Juhapura, Vejalpur, Bapunagar, Amraiwadi, Maninagar, Bhudarpura and many such areas near Ahmedabad are depending on Agarbatti making, selling of goods in retail (street vendors), vegetable vending, embroidery work, and patchwork. Volunteers in Janpath and some groups like Mahila Patchwork Cooperative Society play a key role in this mission.
Following are some activities in the JIVANI Programme:
- Natural Dyeing,
- Block Printing
- Patchwork, cut-work
- Embroidery – AARI Work
- Embroidery –Rabari Bharat
- Tailoring
- Design, and inputs for colour combination, purchase of cloth.
In the recently held Non-Profit Fair in Balboa Park, San Diego, AID San Diego had displayed and sold purses that were from the Jivani programme.
aidsandiego.org 