“Vishalakshi Women Empowerment Project”
Empowering women, enhancing their vocational skills
Let us celebrate the journey of 500 women who were able to transform their lives with their determination and commitment through the strength derived from their spiritual practices. . The story begins with six women starting to write their futures, and little did they know, they were set on the path to change life of several hundred others.
We heard this story at the International Women’s Conference organized by the Art of Living Foundation and couldn’t help but share and spread the joy. Two women, Art of Living volunteers, walked into rural areas of Bangalore hoping to get together women to meditate. Those were, however, their first steps into lives of these women and beginning of beautiful future waiting to unfold.
The Art of Living volunteers fondly known as Shankari Amma and Padmini Amma took very little time to realize that the women and their families were struggling to meet their day-to-day needs. The women were dependent on their husbands and more often than not, the men were consumed in alcohol. They were some how surviving and living in debt and unable to feed their children. With the inspiration of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the guidance of Smt Bhanumathi Narasimhan, the Chairperson of the International Women’s Conference, they formed a team of dedicated and dynamic volunteers to bring about a positive transformation. These women, who were tired of waiting for the circumstances to change, could now make and sell their products to earn their living. The women realized that they needed soft skills training or in their words, “to learn how to talk and communicate” as well. With support from the Art of Living volunteers, these women were able to now efficiently market and sell their hand made products.
As the word spread, more and more women came forward and joined hands to form an informal Self Help Group. The group started noticing that these women had skills and were equipped to earn their living; they just needed a platform and motivation. They started identifying women from the village who already had the knowledge of making aggarbattis (incense sticks), soaps etc. They were brought in to train others who were looking for opportunities to be able to earn their living. Also, women who enjoyed cooking were identified and trained. They eventually started cooking meals in offices and homes. Some of them now are looking forward to rent a place and run a small canteen.
It is amazing how the strategies of the corporate world were intuitively and seamlessly put into practice without realizing the impact that they were creating. Innocently, one step led to another. There were no white boards, power point presentations, meetings and seminars; the women followed their hearts and with the help of Art of Living volunteers pursued their dreams. Now, each member has a bank account. The only rule to be a part of this Self Help Group is that members need to send their children to school. Art of Living volunteers have not only come forward to empower these women but are making sure that the children are sent to school.
It has been 14 years these women first came together. They still do not have an office or a place to meet. They meet at one of the volunteer’s terraces. But their journey is inspiring: From struggling to earn their living to now sending their children to school and college, from burdensome debts to now being able to pay off their loans and save money, from feeling lonely and waiting for situations to change to coming together to form a big family of close to 500 women who stand together and provide support to each other in times of need.
While, we were listening to their stories awestruck, these women would burst into smiles and then into tears recalling their journey. They know their life has turned around but they are innocently unaware of the extent of the impact that they are creating. Hiding behind their shy smiles, they do not know that these are the stories that move the world to believe in goodness, karma, happiness and writing one’s own destiny. A happy one world family!! The Art of Living dream doesn’t seem so far-fetched.