The struggles of underdogs and their journey to the top never fail to inspire us. And, SocialStory aims to bring you the best of these stories.
Sugdi Devi from Rajasthan was struggling to make ends meet, but thanks to the Gramin Vikas Evam Chetna Sansthan, she is now empowering more than 11,000 women with skills. Meanwhile, Atypical Advantage is creating an inclusive art community for people living with disabilities.
This week, SocialStory also celebrated World Autism Day and discussed why Indian companies need to be more inclusive, with this year’s theme being “Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World”.
Here are the top Social Stories of the week:
This artisan is training other women in rural India to be financially independent
During the Partition, Sugdi Devi was among the millions who left their homes in Sindh to build their dream life in Independent India. She settled down in Dhanau in Rajasthan. Times were difficult for her family and after her wedding, the family struggled to survive, depending solely on her husband’s family.
Founded in 1988 by Vikram Singh, the Gramin Vikas Evam Chetna Sansthan (GVCS) has been actively empowering rural women in Rajasthan since 2006, making them financially independent. Sugdi Devi also took the Skill Development Training programme, learnt the hand embroidery skill, to become a Master Trainer and has since helped over 11,000 women at the GVCS.
How artists with disabilities are showcasing their work on these online platforms
Access to a sustainable livelihood is one of the major challenges faced by people living with disabilities. The artist community is no exception. There are barriers separating artists with disabilities such as finding people to represent them or being able to communicate with potential buyers. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has only widened this gap.
Enter platforms like Atypical Advantage, which serve as spaces where these artists can showcase their work and interact with buyers, who can also commission their work to suit their requirements. Each of the artists listed on the platform has a phenomenal story to share and the talent to turn any ordinary canvas into magic.
