Geetanjali Krishna: The power of one

Often, when one thinks social development, the question recurs — is it enough to make a qualitative difference in the life of a single individual, or should one aim for wider social change? In the week that ushered in the seven-millionth human on the planet, the numbers conundrum seem to have taken on renewed urgency. However, I’ve always had more faith in focused development efforts directed at individuals, rather than on grand plans to change society. Imagine my delight, then, when I came across a movement that’s grown from a couple’s desire to help just one woman living in their village. Here’s their story.

In 2003, a Mumbai couple who’d moved to Purkal village near Dehradun, came across a gutsy 37 year old — Meenu. Afflicted with polio and unable to walk freely, her family had married her off to a much older mentally-ill man. The couple, Chinni and G K Swamy, were moved by her story and her tremendous will power. They thought long and hard about how they could help her. “I found that in and around Purkal, all girls received sewing machines when they were married,” recalled Chinni Swamy. However, even though Meenu could sew, her reduced mobility made it impossible for her to go to the city and work. The Swamys had to think of something that Meenu could do from home. “So I asked her to make a patchwork quilt with me,” she said. When it was finished, the two women decided to make one more, and then another. The third quilt got them their first order. Today, the two-woman enterprise has grown into Stree Shakti, a vibrant organisation that empowers local women by offering them a source of livelihood, and Meenu is a senior trainer who teaches patchwork and quilting to other women.

“After we received our first order, I realised that Meenu wasn’t the only woman around who needed help,” said Swamy. As villagers didn’t encourage women to step out of their homes to work, more than half the population there had little access to earn a dignified livelihood. “I began to feel that if we could somehow help these women to earn some money, their families, especially children were most likely to benefit from it,” she said. With all this in mind, Swamy began actively training some more village women to sew, patch and quilt. “We paid a great deal of attention to quality and finish, as I wanted to develop a good market for these products,” she said. Soon, the project that had been born in Swamy’s own backyard spread to an entire building.

“We encouraged the women to form Self Help Groups (SHGs) so they could manage orders and their own finances directly,” said Swamy. Today, the women have organised themselves into seven SHGs with leaders who manage the group’s production and ensure quality. They’ve also independently hired a designer, supervisor and quality controller to implement stringent quality and design standards. Improved sales have allowed them to buy a bus to bring the women to work everyday.

When I saw Stree Shakti’s patchwork products and quilts at the recently concluded Dastkar Nature Bazaar, I was floored by their contemporary designs, vibrant colours and finish. Swamy and friends now plan to diversify their product range and expand their market base. “We have come a long way since we began,” said Swamy, “and I know we’ve a long way ahead. However, what I’ll never forget is that all this was sparked off, not just by a desire to change society as a whole, but by our efforts to help one single individual…”