The Story of The Saheli Women

‘It started with one woman. From humble beginnings to inspiring community leader, founder Madhu Vaishnav began IPHD (Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian Development) in 2014 with the goal of community development through female empowerment.’

The Saheli Women is a branch of IPHD aiming to financially
empower the ladies of Bhikamkor village in rural Rajasthan, India through creating ethical and sustainable fashion.

“IPHD strongly believes that women are the backbone of the community and if the women are financially independent, the family will prosper, and, on a larger scale, a community as a whole will thrive.” – Madhu Vaishnav.

Female Atelier

Saheli is the Hindi word for “female friend,” and reflects the commitment to fostering a safe space exclusively for the women and their children. Today, The Saheli women employs over 24 rural women teaching embroidery, block print, handloom, sewing and natural dyeing in their centres.

They are committed to the fair-trade principles of: employment is freely chosen, freedom of association is respected, working conditions are safe and hygienic, child labor is not allowed, a living wage is paid, working hours are not excessive and women design their own working schedule, discrimination is prohibited, regular employment is provided, no harsh or inhumane treatment.

They also practice sustainable commitment by only using upcycled, organic, and GOTS certified organic biodegradable fabrics and refuse to use synthetic materials. When sourcing fabric they only partner with small ethically producing manufacturers in India and all their products are shipped in reusable unbleached cotton bags. No fabric is wasted in the production process as the workers take extra fabric home to be reused for their families.

Co-Creating

To embark on our journey with The Saheli Women, we have teamed up with their skilled artisans to create our Kafi Folk garments using organic fabric that has been handprinted with AZO-free dyes in Jaipur and will be launching at the beginning of April 2023.

Our ultimate goal is to establish a lasting relationship, collaborating on new designs that showcase their traditional crafts, including embroidery, block printing, hand loom weaving, and natural fabric dyeing. Our aspiration is to offer you distinctive pieces that highlight the exceptional skills and artistry of these inspirational women.

Girls Education Project

What we have also learnt in the last months is that in rural parts of India, women are not encouraged or at times allowed, to go to school or earn an independent living as it is not apart of India’s traditional gender norms. 

Alongside the empowerment of women in their rural villages, The Saheli Women have also supported adolescent girls through the girls' education projects in Bhikamkor. This partnership with the local school sponsors the education for over 200 girls. However, when the coronavirus hit India, they were not able to continue the project until now.

To begin again, they are raising funds to create a space which will function as a library and creative room, combining access to academic reading material and a space where the girls will be taught skills surrounding their indigenous crafts. The girls will be able to learn embroidery, block print, hand loom, sewing and more.By educating the girls from a young age, their hope is that by the time they finish government school they will have professional artistry skills to gain jobs with and financially empower themselves and if they wish, have the abilities to join Saheli Women in the future.

TO SUPPORT THEIR PROJECT, PLEASE VISIT THEIR 'GO FUND ME PAGE' HERE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/girls-education-project-by-saheli-women