Hamaara Sapna

An initiative of the Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust, Hamaara Sapna was formed with the intention to empower women of the South Mumbai slums, via the use of Khadi, by giving them the training and the means to become skilled tailors. An initiative of the Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust, Hamaara Sapna was formed with the intention of creating a second Indian independence movement, this time amongst the women of

the South Mumbai slums. What makes our initiative unique is its holistic nature and lifecycle: we don’t stop at teaching a skill, we aim to provide a well rounded education to our beneficiaries, giving them a leg up in the marketplace. Additionally, our beneficiaries graduate basic training and are later placed in internships, paired with employment partners and ultimately given the means to become self-reliant entrepreneurs. The Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust, established in 1942, is a registered charitable organization created with the objective of encouraging, uplifting and empowering less privileged peoples and their communities, with an emphasis on the overall development of women. Fulfilling these objectives, the Hamaara Sapna Initiative endeavors to uplift female slum residents of South Mumbai, along with their families. The project involves imparting skills training along with a holistic education, internships and hands on experience to foster “a better tomorrow”. Key aspects of the Initiative are:
• To transform the lives of our beneficiaries through the application of “Three Es”: Education, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship
• To foster the aspirations of women
• To implement skill enhancement, livelihood and intervention programs
• To give a platform to conduct small scale enterprise
• To create an effective and valuable change of mindset
• To provide equal opportunity to all

Our beneficiaries range in age from 20-60 and are housewives, domestic staff, vegetable vendors and cooks, amongst a variety of other occupations. The majority of the women are mothers and have undergone only a primary education.