A major component of our services is the capacity building and empowerment of local women and mothers of our children. Training for income generation has made them contributors of income to their families and this in turn has resulted in changed community perceptions and an enhanced self-image of the women themselves.
Papier Mache decorative items
Presently the mothers of the center in Dakshinpuri make handicrafts from papier mache. The papier mache work was earlier done by adult persons with intellectual diisablities. A task analysis was done to link physical and mental abilities with the requirements of the job at hand. Thus the most strenuous but the most necessary is the initial soaking and pulping of newspapers, which is done by a severely intellectually disabled young man. The less demanding jobs and those needing less hand-eye coordination are done by the intellectually disabled and the more delicate painting and molding jobs are done by the women and the mothers.
Combining this unit with the mothers group made for a better product, faster work and selling these provided an income to both the mothers and the adults. They are also made to take responsibility for purchasing supplies, make plans for selling and manage the whole unit themselves. We work towards a time when they will take on all the responsibilities for the management and administration of the group.
Nutritious Laddoo
The Group also makes a nutritious sweet made out of peanuts, soya bean, lentils and wheat germ, which was a recipe we put together with the help of a nutritionist. This was something which came out of one of the sessions with the parents when they asked for an easily made and inexpensive food item which they could give their children. The Nutrition Foundation of India which did the evaluation for us has specified that our laddoos have a high energy and protein content. Though developed as a nutritional supplement for malnourished mothers and children, our laddoos are popular for their taste and quality, and the unit receives special orders during festival seasons.
Spices Unit
In our second center in Dwarka the mothers make spices. Both spices sold as SAMADHAN SPICES and the handicrafts are sold at all the carnivals, festivals. The income from sale of these items goes to the women.