SAKHI (ସାକ୍ଷୀ)
Empowering Rural Women through Skills and Innovation
SAKHI (ସାକ୍ଷୀ) is a grassroots initiative aimed at empowering women in villages by unlocking their potential through skill mapping, tailored training, product innovation, and digital marketing. Rooted in the belief that women are natural change-makers, this Programme seeks to transform rural women into self-reliant entrepreneurs, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their families and communities.
2. Objectives of SAKHI
- To identify and map existing skills among rural women.
- To provide targeted vocational and entrepreneurial training.
- To foster innovation in traditional and local products.
- To build digital and social media marketing capabilities.
- To create sustainable income opportunities and increase women’s participation in the local economy.
3. Key Components of ‘SAKHI’
A. Skill Mapping
- Conduct baseline surveys in target villages to understand women’s current skills, interests, and economic activities.
- Identify both traditional (weaving, pottery, embroidery) and modern skills (data entry, digital literacy) possessed or desired.
- Create individualized or group-based skill profiles to tailor training programmes.
B. Skill Training
Organize hands-on workshops and training camps in:
- Handicrafts, agro-based processing, tailoring, embroidery, textile design, food processing, and packaging.
- Digital literacy, e-commerce, and basic financial literacy.
- Partner with NGOs, vocational institutes, and local artisans to deliver practical training.
C. Product Innovation
- Help women redesign and improve traditional products to make them more appealing to modern and urban markets.
- Encourage the use of eco-friendly and locally available materials.
- Introduce quality control practices and standardized packaging.
- Foster collaborative design thinking workshops with industry experts and designers.
D. Social Media Marketing
- Train women in basic photography, content creation, and digital storytelling.
- Introduce platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp Business, and Facebook Marketplace for selling products.
- Facilitate the creation of a collective brand under the name ‘SAKHI’ (ସାକ୍ଷୀ), giving women a recognizable identity in digital spaces.
- Offer guidance on customer engagement, online payment systems, and shipping logistics.
🎯 5. Expected Outcomes
- 300+ women trained in employable and entrepreneurial skills within Year 1.
- At least 50 women-led micro-enterprises initiated.
- Creation of a village-based digital marketplace under the ‘SAKHI’ collective brand.
- Increase in household income and improved confidence and autonomy among women.
- A scalable, replicable model for other villages and districts.
🤝 6. Partnerships & Support Structure
- NGOs: Outreach, capacity building, and ground-level training.
- Corporate CSR: Strategic funding, mentorship, and market supply chain linkages.
- Design & Marketing Experts: Product innovation and brand-building support.
- Local Panchayats: Community mobilization and infrastructure support.
📊 7. Monitoring & Impact Assessment
- Quarterly assessments to evaluate skill acquisition and economic outcomes.
- Feedback loops through women’s self-help groups (SHGs) and local coordinators.
- Documentation of success stories and challenges for learning and scalability.
✨ 8. Vision & Conclusion
SAKHI envisions a future where every rural woman is a confident contributor to her household income and a proud custodian of her culture and creativity. By bridging the gap between tradition and technology, this initiative will not only empower women but also rejuvenate village economies with innovation and enterprise.
