The ‘‘Purnkuti - Dhara - The project for Empowerment of Women project aims to provide sustainable development and opportunities to underprivileged women for empowerment and to improve their living standards through different livelihood promotion and entrepreneurship development programs so that they don’t just exist but they thrive in every way. The meaning of Dhara is a stream. Purnkuti intends to bring women into the mainstream of development.

Dhara project was started in Bihar in 2016 to support the mothers of the waterlily Public School for the promotion of livelihood. Ms. Swati Bharti who is a Founder and the Trustee of the organization started training the ladies in Applique work, Sujani art, Sindi Kadai, Katha, and Madhubani art. The trainers were brought to Pune and they were taught the finishing and styling of the products by the experts. So far 200 ladies have been trained in these art forms. The organization helps the ladies in buying the raw material and similarly for the sale of the products in different exhibitions, corporate sales, and online sales. There has been a very good response to the products made by these women. Today women can earn around five to six thousand per month and they are now able to support their families to meet their basic expenses. Women say that they have started getting respect from their husbands and other family members since they started this work.Based on this successful experience the organization started with a similar kind of work at Wadgaonsheri and Budhwar Peth in Pune - Maharashtra for the women who are migrant workers, domestic workers, and daily wagers, and sex workers.

Our Project Dhara is specially designed for Women from the socially unaccepted category. We wish to uplift these women (Sex workers, Migrant workers, HIV-positive ladies, Transgender community) and empower them. we focus on:

Sustainable Development Goals are addressed

Project Dhara (The project for Empowerment of Women) addresses the following goals.,

a. Goal 1: No poverty,

b. Goal 5: Gender Equality,

c. Goal 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth &

d. Goal 10: Reduced Inequality

• The participating women would acquire various vocational and capacity-building skills which would help them become knowledgeable & independent.
• The newly acquired skills would enable them to start earning through small businesses at home and become economically independent, like tailoring business, beauty parlor, and Embroidery /Applique work, etc., Purnkuti will also be supporting the women for market linkages through online and offline marketing avenues
• They would also create the opportunity for themselves to expand their existing business through our entrepreneurship development funds and raise their living standards. Also, through the business management training program, the beneficiaries would also learn about marketing, accounting, budgeting, saving, planning, executing, etc.
• The women would develop a greater level of awareness of various social issues, different policies and laws regarding women and children, issues on health and hygiene, and financial and digital literacy. This will also help them better understand their rights enabling them to better manage their lives.
• Most importantly, our beneficiaries would develop a good personality, becoming self-confident, self-sufficient, and empowered through various programs conducted at the center.