Registration Details

Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust NGO Organization Members

Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust Source Funds

Contact details

Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust Key Issues and Operational Areas, Major Activiities & Achivements

Operational Districts: Rae Bareli, Bara Banki, Hardoi, Lucknow

Operational States: UTTAR PRADESH

AchieveMents: Craft Development Centre This centre was setup by LMST to help the members to find markets for their products and to increase their bargaining power. The centre aims to promote and sustain artisan’s welfare and to do away with economic and social exploitation is help them in producing high quality work. o Provide managerial support. o The centre provides its members with information pertaining to raw material procurement. o Training programmes and design trends to enable the former to upgrade their products and enhance their receptivity in the market. Women workers are also imparted training to augment their managerial and financial skills through participation in various workshops and conferences. Institution building -SEWU SEWU itself is promoted and formed by LMST in as much as the women beneficiaries of various programmes of LMST are invariably the members of SEWU which is a Trade Union of unorganized workers. Under the banner of SEWU, the cause of unorganized workers has been highlighted in various parts of the State for achievement of their demand such as elimination of exploitation, payment of proper wages, coverage under social security schemes, protection of rights and entitlement and elimination of other social evils from the society. The unity created under the institution of SEWU achieved commendable results and the struggle will continue in future also. Wehandicrafts & Craft net Foundation Wehandicrafts is particularly active in the areas of Chikan and Zardozi craft development. Amongst the workers of informal economy, women are the poorest and most exploited. Artisans Identity Cards The women workers get visible status and are able to get the advantage of Office of the Development Commissioner Handicraft, in one cluster of Barabanki, nine Mohalla of Lucknow District and two blocks of Hardoi Districts (Sursa and Ahirori) It offers them to participate in various Central govt. schemes for welfare of the artisans and also sell their products at various exhibitions around the country. Marketing o Saebaan an market outlet helps the women in marketing as with the market, with traditional crafts like Chikan, Zardozi, Kundan Jewellery, appliqué etc. becoming more and more competitive. Saebaan allows the women to directly sell their hand-made and traditional products in the open market of finished goods through exhibition. o LMST endorsed its presence in the craft exhibitions held in Delhi, Bombay, and Kanpur and in few other cities, through its Zari Chikan women artisan members. It also took part in Lucknow Festival. o We link our artisan’s members to different boutiques of metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. From these boutiques they are getting sustainable employment throughout the year. Construction Worker Welfare programmes LMST organized Camps, Melas, Puppet Shows at brick kilns, Labour Adda, Labour Basti to aware its member about benefit of registering under welfare Board for Construction workers and assisted in registration process and facilitated benefits to them through networking with Labour department.5200 construction workers got registered. Domestic Workers Federation: LMST Set up Samman Sewa, which strive to make a livelihood for domestic workers and for their families. It provides a common platform for women of self employed sector. And create awareness on the deeper problems in their sectors. Under SAMMAN SEWA Service Women have been trained to provide care for the sick and elderly at home or in hospital. Service includes Total are of the patients, i.e. sponge bath, bed pan and toilet assistance, massage and physiotherapy when necessary, laundering patients diet and cleanliness of patients room. Women empowerment programmes ‘Sunehara Kal - ITC – LMST Project’ Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust initiated a project for ‘women’s economic empowerment for sustainable livelihood’ in collaboration with ITC Limited in the year 2004. Under this project women were mobilized to form Self Help Groups and were educated about the ways and means for savings. The project has since successfully completed four years of implementation and entered 5th year of operation. The organization had undertaken various activities comprising Self Help Group formation, Micro finance/Micro enterprises, Capacity building training & Employment generation. The organization formed 195 SHGs consisting of total 2703 members. The group members were provided necessary training for Micro enterprises for production and marketing of Chikankari, Agarbatti and FMCG. The members were also provided with training for capacity building which included Group management, savings, micro credit, forward and backward linkages, marketing techniques etc. Self help group formation and capacity building The organization has formed more than 500 women self help groups in the districts of Barabanki & Lucknow with the aim to increase the self-confidence, self-esteem and autonomy among women; increase their ability to articulate needs; make demands and enforce rights both as an individual and in groups; increase access to and control over economic & social resources & the political processes; improve quality of life; participation in planning and decision making processes at family and community level. LMST is running a project for imparting Handicraft training on Chikan Zari Zardosi craft in the district Lucknow with the support of ART-VENTURE, Singapore. The initial period of one year will be completed on 31st December, 2009. The project aims support and upgrade skills of the artisans in requirement with the market trend. Handicaraft development programme (under AHVY) The organization has successfully completed a project for training on Chikan & Zari Embroidery under Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY) for 120 women artisans of the block Nindura, Barabanki with the support of Development Commissioner (H), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. In addition to the above programme, with the help of the above Department, about 500 artisans are monetarily gaining by means of developing Artisan Cards, etc. They are also getting Bank Loans for establishing their own ventures and are also insured with LIC of India. Other Activities The organization has also been working in co-ordination with various development agencies and corporate sectors, some of which are cited below: • A study conducted for home-based artisans engaged in Zari and Chikan embroidery to ascertain their present socio-economic status. • An in-depth study “Footpath Abhiyan” was conducted to ascertain the living condition of street-vendors of Lucknow. • A study was done on “Languishing Craft” in the making of artificial jewellery from locally available resources by women artisans of Lucknow. • A study on home-based women workers in Lucknow under National Council for Applied Economic Research, New Delhi with the support of UNICEF Lucknow. • A study conducted for Applique artisans based on their economic condition at Rampur and a study on Zari artisans at district, Bareilly. In addition to the above, the organization has been working in co-ordination with various agencies for empowering and improving living condition of women and children in the various project areas. Some of agencies involved are SEWA Bharat, Sewa Academy, NABARD, SSK-Lucknow, Upvan Lucknow, Home net-India, Nasvi, STFC and State Central Labour Commissioner Labour Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh. It will not be out of place to mention that the organization has been instrumental in developing saving/banking habits among the poorer sections of the society in some parts of Lucknow. To this end, it made a dialogue with ICICI Bank who has opened a special business correspondent branch at Vikas Nagar, Lucknow. This branch is being run by LMST where the poor sections of the society like artisans, daily wagers, rickshaw pullers, domestic helps etc. are the customers. They can open their account with zero balance. Apart from the above, the resources of the organization have been utilized from time to time for the promotion of health & family welfare, literacy & education, welfare activities for destitute street children, hawkers, venders & older/handicapped persons and for conservation of environment.