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2. Executive summary
Khwaab is a skill development centre which provides training on livelihood skills to
underprivileged women living in urban slums. Khwaab believes in the power of a
skilled and financially independent woman to secure her child’s education and improve
her family’s standard of living.
Khwaab identifies avenues where these women can market their products and add to
their household income which can then be directed towards their child’s education
and family welfare.
It also imparts literacy training to the women in the form of English, Math and
Computers and spreads awareness about social norms, rights and causes. This helps in
developing the community women into responsible and active changemakers for the
child, household and community.
Khwaab Welfare Trust was started under ‘Be the Change’ project by four ‘Teach for
India’ fellows on 11th August 2014 and is currently in its second year of operations.
Vision
Financially empower unemployed and unskilled community women by imparting
livelihood skills and channelizing a portion of their earnings towards their child’s
education.

3. Founders
Our Story
While on a community visit we saw one of our students running in a beautiful peach
coloured salwar khameez. When we asked the mother where she bought it from she
said “Yeh tho meine banaya hai” (I have made this). We walked further met more
mothers. Heard about their dreams, their frustrations of being bound down to the
four walls, them being dependent on their husbands financially and them not being
able to contribute to their child’s education. As we moved from house to house we
realized there lay huge potential hidden behind those doors that needed an
opportunity to break free. We connected the dots and came up with an idea of
making these mothers financially independent by providing them with livelihood skills.
These skills would lead to employability and help them channelize their earnings
towards their child’s education.
V.SHRUTI
BBS, College of Business
Studies
Fellow, Teach for India
Program Manager, Teach
for India.
CHANDAJAIN
BBS, College of Business
Studies
Fellow, Teach for India
Associate ,Swaniti
Initiative.
YASH WARRIER
BBA,Christ College
Bangalore
Fellow, Teach for India
Freelance content
developer
POOJACHOPRA
Economics Hons, Lady
Shri Ram College
Fellow, Teach for India
MBA, Indian School of
Business

4. Social impact summary
The involvement of women in the workforce empowers the women and the
community. An earning woman uses a larger percentage of her earnings towards child
education and family welfare. Despite acknowledgement about the need for women
to be in the workforce, the conditions are particularly dismal in India. The
participation of women in the labour market is extremely low with total workforce
participation rate of women being 25.5% (Census 2011) - in some parts of rural India
this number can go as low as 10%. As per the Census of 2011, there has been no
recorded increase in the workforce participation rate of women in the last decade.
As we glanced upon these figures, we understood the need for a societal intervention
in the Mandawali community. A door-to-door survey taught us that there existed
immense potential in every household as most of the women were semi-skilled in the
art of tailoring. However, they had not directed their abilities to productive use
because of the patriarchal structure of the society around them.
Skill Development
16 community women have been trained in
tailoring, knitting and craft products with the
help of 2 community trainers. These skills
have provided them the opportunity to
become employable.
Community Involvement
Khwaab started with 10 women and has
doubled the impact by attracting other
community women to learn the skills.
FinancialIndependence
Khwaab women are generating
earnings by selling festive products in
exhibitions and corporate stalls. They
have also been able to save income
earlier spent on tailoring
Household
Khwaab women are investing their current
earnings towards their child’s education and
also to meet basic needs like a mobile phone
to stay connected. Khwaab has ensured each
woman has a bank account which is a step
towards increasing savings.
Child Well-Being
Khwaab impacts community children in a
dual way. Firstly Khwaab women are more
invested in their child’s education due to
education workshops. Secondly Khwaab
also serves as a learning centre for
community children.
Awareness
Workshops on sanitation, savings,
education, personal development and
community building has made Khwaab
women aware and inspired them to drive
change.
Khwaab

5. Skill Development
Khwaab skill development centre started with providing training in tailoring with the
help of two community trainers. The women underwent a six months training on
tailoring basics post which they moved into using the skills to develop products.
Through the development process we realized the need for training the women in a
variety of skills to ensure year round production of different seasonal and festive
products. Khwaab women are currently trained in 5 skills – tailoring, knitting, candle
making, dreamcatchers and Shibori. Tailoring and Shibori brings year-long demand
whereas knitting and candle making help in bringing seasonal demand. Dreamcatchers
is a niche market which we are exploring through online marketing.
TRAINING
Khwaab Supporters