AALAMBA SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Aalamba means “support” or “something to lean against”. Through the program, Headstreams desires to be that pillar of support for 30 young women from vulnerable backgrounds, who have no other pillar to lean on.
The first group of young women we work with are from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds (abused, neglected, abandoned, orphaned and in need of care and protection) who were institutionalised till the age of 18. The second group are from rural contexts, who come from poor income families, over 75% of which belong to the SC/ST/OBC communities. We found that women from both backgrounds, cannot find a job, can’t hold down a job and get exploited in the workplace. They belong to the category called NEET (not in education, employment or training), a part of more than 50% of the women in our country. There is a need for a bridge program to integrate them into mainstream livelihoods.
Our aim: Through this program, 30 young women will be trained through an experiential internship in creating and selling handcrafted products using natural and upcycled materials. They will:
• Learn a handcrafting skill and becoming an artisan
• Contribute to her family income for the first time
• Learn how to work on spreadsheets and make digital presentations
• Open their own bank accounts, commencing savings and learn to use their income judiciously
• Access group counselling sessions that heal the body and mind
The training method will largely be practical, experiential and hands-on, except for sessions with respect to understanding the basics of marketing the products made.
To catch a glimpse of the work we do, see https://youtu.be/uJ0ZcQbnNho or visit our website https://headstreams.org/ and follow us on @headstreamsindia.
We hope to partner with you to create change for these 30 young women and their families!
Help us raise funds for our specific needs.
Headstreams works with children, adolescents yout,h and women from under-resourced communities on improving their learning and livelihood outcomes. The vision of the organization is a world where every person has opportunities to realise their inherent potential to live a positive, confident, purposeful and socially productive life. This is achieved through programmes promoting opportunities for participants to explore, experiment, experience and enhance their capabilities in an environment that fosters security, empathy and freedom through creative means and healthy social interactions. Started in 2008, Headstreams has implemented field programs that have impacted over 15,000 children by creating play-based learning spaces in under-resourced and low income communities; empowered over 1,000 marginalised youth through employability and life-skills training; trained over 1,000 women across 52 low-income Self Help Groups (SHGs) to become entrepreneurs, and equipped more than 250 government school teachers to become empathetic, impactful teachers.
Contact Person: Anne Thomas
Email: anne@headstreams.org
Phone: 9880440438
A big thank you to all those who have donated on this page.
