Upskill Women & Launch Entrepreneurs in India

Namaste from Kerala!

In a small village tucked among Kerala’s green hills, a group of women gather each week in a shaded community hall. Some arrive with babies on their hips. Others come shyly, glancing around as if unsure whether they belong. They do.

At first, it’s simple. They sit cross-legged on mats, threading beads onto string or painting delicate designs on fabric. Their hands move cautiously at first—then more freely. Laughter bubbles up. Someone shares a story. Another nods in understanding. Someone else finally speaks. This is where it begins

Why these spaces matter

For many rural women in South India, life has been a series of silences. Silences around periods. Around sex. Around what they want for themselves. Some were married young. Some never finished school. Most have spent years putting everyone else first.

Jobs? Education? Independence? These feel like faraway ideas—not because these women aren’t capable, but because no one ever told them they could. So we start small. Gentle. Respectful.

Arts and crafts become a bridge—not just to skills, but to trust. In these sessions, women don’t just learn how to make something beautiful—they start to see something beautiful in themselves.

Then we talk. Carefully, courageously. About family planning. About periods and how to manage them with dignity. About what they wish someone had told them when they were girls - isses we know are very sensitive for many girls and women.

This past quarter, over 60 women joined our workshops for the first time. For some, it was the first time they’d been invited to focus on themselves. One woman, Meena, shared through tears that no one had ever explained what was happening to her body during her first period—she thought she was dying. Now, she helps us hand out menstrual kits to girls in her village.

Another, Rani, told us she hadn’t left her home alone in years. Now she walks to our centre every week and helps lead ice-breaker games for newcomers.

Each story is unique, but the feeling is shared: someone sees me. Someone believes I can learn. I belong here and your donations and hard earned cash that you generously give to our program really is life changing and for this all the women and I from our little centre here in India say thank you!!

This space exists because of you. The chairs. The thread. The woman who greeted Meena on her first day. The cup of tea shared at the end. The quiet voice that found its courage. Thank you for helping make all of this possible. You’ve done more than support a project—you’ve helped create a space where change doesn’t just happen… I personally feel it's a absoulte treat for myself to be apart of this and that we are able to open the doors to our centre most days because of people like you. 

With warmth and gratitude,

Padmini and our Girl Power team!