27/09/2026
🌱 From Skills to Sustainable Livelihoods — A Journey of Empowerment
Around 2½ years ago, Rtn. Nainesh Bhaide and Sanjukta Bhaide began their association with Pahal – Nurturing Lives’ Khalapur Centre, where they met women who had completed basic stitching training. Some worked on small orders from home, while others would come to the centre after completing their household responsibilities and collectively make Godhadis (Quilts) and a few basic products.
Their earnings were limited—often around ₹1,000–₹2,000—but Nainesh and Sanjukta saw tremendous potential and eagerness to learn. For almost the first year, they visited the centre twice every month, sharing their garment-industry experience and guiding the women on product development, fabrics, finishing, quality and market expectations.
As their skills improved, together with Pahal they realised that training alone was not enough—the women needed an identity and a platform connecting their skills to the market.
❤️ That is how Heartisan came into existence.
Through Heartisan, the women began creating laptop sleeves, travel pouches, tote bags, diaries, Godhadis (Quilts), Nehru jackets and other products. Since travelling from Khalapur to exhibition venues was not always possible for them, Pahal and its supporting team helped showcase and sell their creations at exhibitions.
Today, their work has expanded to orders for school uniforms, medical and institutional aprons, jackets for police personnel and other stitched products, with women who earlier earned around ₹1,000–₹2,000 now able to earn approximately ₹12,000–₹15,000 per month.
🌿 Taking the Experience Forward Through RCHE
Building on this journey on 26th Sept, 2026, Rtn. Nainesh Bhaide and Sanjukta Bhaide, through the Rotary Club of Hiranandani Estate (RCHE), recently conducted an interactive mentoring and hands-on workshop at Prabodhankar Kaushalya Niketan, Mangaon.
52 alumni, out of nearly 100 women who have completed the tailoring programme so far, participated in the session.
The session covered fabric identification and different fabric qualities, product development, stitching and finishing standards, garment quality checking, identification of defects and their causes, ways to prevent quality issues, understanding quality at different price levels, market expectations, and career and self-employment opportunities through tailoring.
During the hands-on quality workshop, participants were given actual garments and encouraged to identify defects themselves, understand why they occurred and learn how they could be prevented. Products currently being created by the Khalapur women under Heartisan were also showcased, giving the Mangaon alumni a real example of how basic stitching skills can evolve into market-ready products and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
🧥 A particularly proud moment was when Rtn. Nainesh Bhaide wore a Nehru jacket made by the women of Pahal’s Khalapur Centre during the session—turning their journey into a visible example for the 52 alumni of what skills, quality, guidance and opportunity can achieve.
From Khalapur to Mangaon, the message remained simple:
Nurture the potential. Build confidence. Improve the skill. Create opportunities. Turn skills into sustainable livelihoods. 🌱
