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our women
In 1990, we started a small community school, a “de-school” called KATHA KHAZANA, in Govindpuri, one of Delhi’s largest slum clusters. But only five children came. The reason? They were working. So we said, If we can get Rs 800 into the hands of the women – a family earned just that much in those days – then we could ask them to send their children to school.
Thus began our work with women’s economic empowerment and community revitalization. In 2006-07, 13 more locations were added. Today, we help bring
positive change into the lives of more than 7,000 children and 250,000 adults living in 74 street and slum communities across Delhi and Arunachal Pradesh.
Our women
In 1990, when the average family income was Rs 600-800/month/family, we said: When women earn, children learn; we wanted Rs 800/month in their hands. Today, salaries of women trained at Katha are going up to at Rs 20,000/month!
1990-2008
84,400: Women who have participated in Katha community revitalization and economic resurgence initiatives
Rs 14 million: Total sales of our Income Generation Group
Rs 31.6 million: Total earnings of community women trained at Katha
Rs 10, 06, 924: Annual income of women in Katha Shakti
This year, 72 new teachers were trained, 294 lesson plans and 378 teaching modules prepared.1800 women have earned their creativity! They have got their certifications from KALP, the Katha Adult Literacy Programme. They are teachers today, and more!
1200 determined women make up our 58 self-help groups, about 20 to a group; 65 welfare societies look after health, sanitation and water in Govindpuri.
Working Women’s Forum
810 members today
Mahila Panchayat: 15 members
Target by end 2009: 15002000 girls are proud certificate holders of the adolescent girls' group at Katha’s Balika Mandal.
8700 mothers are part of the Maa Mandal group who meet regularly to realize their dreams for themselves and their children. Ours is a proactive dreamer-doer group!
Sanjha Prayas
Under the Bhagidari Scheme, this year, the Delhi Government has also joined hands with our women to ensure health and sanitation in Govindpuri!
SHE squared!
The SHE]2 initiative ensures access to Safe Water & Sanitation, Health & Housing, Education & Economic Resurgence. Through 65 welfare societies, Katha initiated a unique process of empowerment with women as community leaders, focusing on democratic decision-making within the community.
Empowered
With IT training for about 100 women every year since 1990, diverse income generation activities, adult education programmes, self-help groups, welfare committees, our women have been able to fight for rights usually denied to those in poverty. And to empower their lives with literacy and independent incomes, in turn facilitating their own and their families’ well-being – ensuring better education, better health and brighter futures for their children. Because when women earn, children learn!
Ways forward
Work is on to spread awareness to the 50 slums we are working in, and to get more women to join the movement for better.
International recognitions include the Social Enterprise Laboratory Award by Digital Partners. The NASDAQ Stock Market Education Award 2002 from the Tech Museum of Innovation. Katha was the Stockholm Challenge 2002 finalist.
“The name (Katha-Khazana) could not have been more apt as the endeavour has contributed to stories of women’s empowerment, stories of would-have-been school dropouts becoming school toppers, and now the story of how despite being housed in a dirty slum, a wonderfully clean bakery churns out delightfully tasty biscuits … It is also a story of struggle waged by women such as Manjula and Urmila to cast away the veil that shrouded their existence and step out of their homes to establish their worth, not just to the outside world, but also to themselves … Katha is an epicentre of activities that have transformed the Govindpuri Basti.”
—The Week
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friends
of katha
With more than 5,000 people from all walks of life supporting
the dreams of our children and women, we cannot but reach equitable prosperity
to all!.
our
women
Resilient, smiling women of grit and courage, our women are
willing to tackle anything -- they just want an opportunity. They dream
for their children, their families..
our
children
Fun loving and great dreamer-doers, they want to make a place
under the sun for themselves. And work hard to achieve their dreams. They
have the potential. They look just for some.
our
teachers
Fun loving and great dreamer-doers
