Stitches of Hope

Many women in the area around Bharatpur already know knitting or weaving, but have no steady way to earn from it. I want to explore whether small, manageable support (a little working capital, basic materials, and a connection to buyers) could help them earn an additional income from a skill they already have.

An extra source of income means more than money. For the women I've spoken to, it means more say in household decisions and more confidence in themselves. It doesn't take a big programme. Sometimes it just takes someone organising the missing piece.

1. Identify a small group of women who already knit or weave.
2. Arrange basic materials and a small amount of working capital.
3. Agree on a few simple products to begin with.
4. Find initial buyers: school fairs, local shops, family networks.
5. Learn from the first round and adjust before scaling up.

A handful of women who want to participate, a local coordinator who can help with language and trust, and my school's community service network.

For a first version, we'd keep it simple: a couple of knitted items and a woven product that people actually use day to day. Nothing fancy. The goal is to test whether anyone buys, not to launch a brand.

Mostly economics in practice: pricing, incentives, and how hard trust and coordination are compared with how easy they look on paper. Also that I should talk to people before planning anything more.

This project is still in its early stages. I'm doing background research and conversations before the first pilot. I'll post updates here as it develops.