As a firm believer in the 3R principle of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, I am always on the lookout for different ways in which we could put our no longer needed or unused things to good use. On one such journey with this old bedsheet, I discovered the NGO APARAJITA SEVA PROJECT (ASP). This NGO is run by Mrs. Sunita Khera and her husband. A dedicated couple with a simple yet effective mission of empowering women from the weaker sections of our society.
Aparajita’s literal meaning is ‘The One Who Cannot be Defeated’ and the project is true to its meaning. The project is oriented towards imparting skills to these women to make them economically independent & and self-reliant. Additionally, helping build their confidence & and skills leads to successful employment opportunities in the future. The project kickstarted in 2003 and has untiringly worked through the years seeing many ups and downs yet lived up to its name. ASP runs regular courses of six months duration on Beauty Culture, Mehndi plus basic and advanced courses on Cutting & Tailoring. All this is done free of charge. All material for courses & workshops is provided and sponsored by the organization. Two fully devoted instructors are teaching and supervising the activities.
Besides the basic usual tailoring and stitching activities, they are also making cloth face masks, cloth carry bags from tablecloths and bedsheets, etc. All the proceeds go to the women who are working there. Learning and earning go side by side. Aparajita operates Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Community Centre, DDA flats Kalkaji. It has sessions from 10 am to 12 noon and 2 to 4 pm for cutting, tailoring and beauty culture. However, the advanced cutting and tailoring sessions are held from 12 noon to 2 pm. Mehndi design is for an hour each between 10 am to 4 pm.
It is worth joining hands with Aparajita and helping in whatever way to be a part of this voluntary sewa. I for sure, got my bedsheet converted into a nice cloth bag that I shall be proudly using for my grocery and vegetables.
