Sashakt II

The objective of the project was to start a Self Help Group (SHG) to generate employment for rural women. The idea was to teach them how to make candles as candles had a much higher profit margin as compared to the other options available- kite making, paperbags etc.

One of the major tasks was that of identifying a suitable target group. A MADF team, consisting of Srikanth, Akanksha and Brijendra visited Hasanpur, Nangla and Nandgram and talked to the Gram Pradhans. All three areas were receptive to the idea but the team found that the people of Hasanpur and Nangla were land owners for the most part and were quite prosperous.

A slum area, about a from Ghaziabad, Nandgram was zeroed in on for the project as most of the people were either rickshaw pullers or construction labours etc and hence their income was neither sufficient nor continuous. Also, Mr. Mahesh, the principal of RML Public School, the local school was very supportive of the initiative and he assured us that he’d provide a place for us to hold the camp. His wife, Principal of the school offered to talk to the area women and convince them. A meeting was to be held for the same and two days later, they communicated their acceptance.

A decision was made to include High School girls of the school in order to provide them with vocational training as most of them wouldn’t be able to pursue higher education.

On 13^th Oct’08, Sashakt II was inaugurated in the presence of Dr. S.K. Singh, Chairman Student Affairs and Rtn. . Their words of encouragement inspired everyone present. The event was covered in local media.

Seventeen people including the high school students participated in the day camp. The materials required were procured by MADF and the funding for the same was provided jointly by MADF and Sahaya-the helping hands, a privately funded NGO. MADF as well as non-MADF members volunteered for the effort. At the end of three days, some 800 odd candles were produced by the group.

MADF set up stalls to sell the candles in the college and a 3-day mela organizaed by Lion’s Club Ghaziabad., a student of the executive batch arranged for MADF to set up a stall at the Diwali bash of , where the response was extremely encouraging.

Profits generated from the sale of candles were distributed to the women the day before Diwali. For the students who participated, MADF is paying their school fees for teh next couple of months.

Special thanks accorded to Rohan, Srikanth, Akanksha, Brijendra, Abhilash, Shankha, Chandan, Mrinal and Tripti for making Sashakt a success.