From an acorn, grew an oak. The acorn in question is an adult literacy project that advocate and Rajya Sabha member Vandana Chavan launched in Pune in 2000 when she was the city’s mayor. Part of the literacy drive included vocational training in stitching, sewing, embroidery etc for more than a hundred women, which blossomed into Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies Empowerment (SMILE). Today, it is a robust entity, spawning many success stories with the SMILE model becoming a government mandate.
It all began with a rebuff. “When I approached the urban community development department of the municipal corporation (Pune) to get started, I was given the typical government answer that it was not their mandate,” says the 54-year-old. “Not ready to give up, I approached the then municipal commissioner, who liked the idea and provided an outlet for SMILE. Things fell into place when SMILE was set up in a location better suited for commerce, such as the centrally located Vishrambaug Wada, a heritage structure”.
There were more obstacles. “We were bogged down with issues of untimely delivery with many of the poor women not able to buy material for big orders,” says Chavan. That is when she asked some of her friends to partner with the women and invest a little money. “We ended up with clusters with one well-to-do woman partnering with 10 poor ones and setting up a small workshop. It was a win-win situation with the poor ladies benefiting with quality control and timely delivery assured,” says Chavan. Today, SMILE has 200 suppliers, with each employing 10-15 women.
Once economic empowerment for women was achieved, SMILE got about conquering more milestones. After 10 years, SMILE Saheli came into existence. Says Chavan, “We formed 43 women’s groups with 100 in each. They participated in a one-year programme, wherein they got acquainted with legal literacy besides receiving inputs about health and wellness.”
Another venture, Change Makers, was started last year with women being groomed to become leaders in their community. “A group of women beat up a bunch of eve teasers, after which I labelled them the ‘gulabi gang’,” laughs Chavan.
The biggest feather in their cap was when the SMILE model received government approbation. “The government of Maharashtra has adopted the SMILE model via municipal corporations and municipalities,” says the ex-mayor. SMILE has also found mention as one among the 11 best practices in the government of India’s register of innovation for poverty alleviation and has been recognised by the UN-Habitat. Chavan was also instrumental in getting Mahratta Chamber of Commerce and Pune Municipal Corporation to provide market research for small entrepreneurial activities.
SMILE makes handicrafts, decorative articles, bags, food stuff and more. It has become a go-to place for those wanting to gift ethnic things to those abroad. “The khan material (woven textile) that comes in vibrant colours was being used only to make blouses. We adopted khan in our products, giving it a new lease of life. Now, even fashion designers have begun to use this fabric,” she says. SMILE’s wares are priced from Rs 50 to Rs 3,000.
SMILE has empowered countless women, making entrepreneurs out of them. “A lady who started out making pickles is today heading a food business, while another told me that for the first time, she was able to foot her husband’s medical bill by herself,” says Chavan.