Changing lives of women, one handmade bag at a time

They say children learn from their parents, and also give direction to the personality traits of the young ones. Vikhroli resident Manisha Katke grew up watching her mother helping women in her neighbourhood, an experience that impacted her deeply.

- Pooja Patel

So after she got married and started her own family, she converted her mother's motivation into action and started the Savitri Mahila Samaj Vikas Sanstha (SMSVS).

Prior to establishing this NGO, Katke, over the years, had started 30 'Bachat Gats', or self-help groups consisting of 10 women each, as well as three 'Shejar Samitis' (small federations of self-help groups, totally comprising 150 women). These women's collectives that worked to provide the women dignified livelihoods eventually culminated into the formation of the SMSVS in 2014.