Rathwa Rameshbhai, 30 years (Pankhada, District Vadodara, Gujarat)

After doing the YLTP course, I started a Sewing Class Project. We give training in sewing, and then we include them in the work of this organization to make pouches and cloth bags to help avoid plastic bags.

The agricultural land is inadequate in our village. Due to that we have to go out of the village for work. If we go to the GIDC (Gujrat Industrial Development Corporation) of a city, we have to gulp chemical gas. That is why I took tailor's training. So I thought of giving this training to others too. After coaching, whatever work we get from Guruji's organization fetches us employment and we don’t have to leave the village. We do business at home and at the same time do Guruji's work too. Immersed in devotion, we wish to work.

The unemployed tribals living in the nearby villages leave their domicile and go to the GIDC to earn their livelihood. They get Rs.50 or 100 per day. They do not earn if there is no work. There are a lot of chemical factories and the atmosphere is not pure, and they have to stay in slums. They had good houses in their native villages, but they have to go outside for employment.

So we thought that instead of staying in such conditions, these people should learn some good and useful skill. Now these people say that money, house or land can be taken away someday, but your inner talents can never be taken away from you. So they took training to develop the talent within. They worked in night shifts in the GIDC, and during the day they would learn tailoring.

Today we are working on two projects. One of that is Kriya pouch. These pouches are made for the Kriya tape. The organization proposed to start another new project in Gujarat for discouraging people to use plastic bags, and to use cloth bags instead. We make cloth bags out of waste material which turns out to be cheaper. Then we tie up with big malls such as Big Bazaar and show them so that they can use it.

After teaching the people who come here for our tailoring class, we take responsibility to give them employment. Until the person becomes financially independent, he is our responsibility.

Youth leader Rathwa Ramesh Bhai's experience