Our Team - PROJECT 1000 | Shanti Seva Nidhi Trust

RITU SARAF

Project Director

Ritu has been a part of the corporate world for more than two decades. At this point in her corporate life, she finds her calling in the area of rural women’s welfare projects. With design and product innovation being her strengths, coupled with a rich travel exposure, she is able to develop salable products. More importantly, she believes in harnessing the immense female rural talent available in India and thereby championing gainful employment. Her professional experience in business and her entrepreneurial vision help her identify the key factors that can be the most commercially viable from a manufacturing and marketing point of view. Ritu is passionately assessing new ways to generate value for Project 1000.

With a strong sense of moving towards sustainability, Ritu is very conscious about eliminating wastage and promoting the ideology of reuse and recycling. She wishes to promote sustainable living and be a part of the circular economy. Not to mention that helping her gender in taking their respectful and rightful place in society by way of being financially independent is foremost on her mind. With PROJECT 1000 she aims to achieve a daily livelihood of Rs 1000/- (about $13/-) for every Project 1000 lady.

LALITA TEMBHARE

Workshop Manager

Lalita has been with PROJECT 1000 since September 2020. This was the time when Project 1000 resumes activities after a very stringent lockdown. She went through the 2 months of the training program at the workshop and is now a master weaver on the wooden looms. She has grown to become a team leader and in April 2021 successfully started the new vertical of crochet knitting single-handedly. She gathered a team, taught the ladies and developed a new range of handbags, floor rugs and placemats which have now become best sellers for Project 1000.

She is very creative and has adapted to the international colour palette selection well which gives her an edge over the others. She is able to handcraft beautiful samples which get approved by our market research team almost instantly. Her meticulous detailing and a keen eye for quality make her handiwork outstanding and much in demand. Lalita now blends the 2 techniques of weaving and crochet to develop complicated styles for backpacks and tote bags which make a fashion statement in all exhibitions she participates in. Lalita is able to weave all the SKUs that PROJECT 1000 has to offer.

She is now a proud contributing member of her family and garners loads of respect in the community and within her circles.

ASHOK PATHAK

Operations & Field Sales Manager

Meet Ashok Pathak, our Operations & Field Sales Manager, whose journey from the small village of Badhoi, Uttar Pradesh, to Maharashtra reflects his remarkable dedication. Joining in 2020 as a driver, Ashok’s hard work and people skills swiftly propelled him to a leadership role.

Despite limited schooling in his local language, Ashok adeptly communicates with foreigners and non-Hindi speakers at fairs and events. His 24/7 commitment and passion for PROJECT 1000 make him an invaluable team member, showcasing the impact of determination and hard work in achieving success.

OUR WOMEN WEAVERS

We all have a story to tell and a passion that we long to exhibit. Our women at Project 1000 have found their way in society through a series of ups and downs in life. Today, we will look back upon the lives of Sushma, Sarita, Reshma, Bhumeshwari, Jageshwari, Krishna and many more, we see how their life has unfolded. While each story is unique, they all faced a common challenge: the limited opportunities. Our women grew up in the rural hinterlands of India. They were raised by their parents, who provided them with the basic schooling affordable to them. All three women pursued their secondary education, but then what? They wanted to learn more; they had dreams and ambitions. To pursue their dreams, they reached the industrial hub of India, Mumbai. Yes, Mumbai is filled with opportunities, but only for those who have access to them. Finding job prospects in Mumbai was not easy. The struggle was real. Nonetheless, their determination was overpowering.

Our women began their careers as factory workers and were soon introduced to the wonders of Project 1000. Their skillsets in designing perfectly aligned with the vocational training offered at the organization. We, at Project 1000, we’re dedicated to unraveling their potential, and our women were adamant about mastering the skill of producing handmade products. Gradually, Sushma, Sarita, Reshma, Bhumeshwari, Jageshwari, Krishna and the others began innovating and creating designs of their own. The next step was to sell. We wanted to motivate them to sell their own products and stand on their feet. This is where the concept of gainful employment plays a crucial role. One can master the art, but to showcase the art, self-confidence is vital. At Project 1000, we aim to build the selfconfidence required for independence.

Our women have accompanied us to various art fairs to exhibit their products. The praise and appreciation have augmented their passion for designing and selling their handmade creations. The entire team continue to produce designs during the global pandemic and strive to explore the field of designing in the years to come.