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Social Initiatives
GoodWeave is working to end child labor in the handmade carpet industry through its inspection and monitoring work at the loom level, as well as through funding and implementing social programs to serve rescued children or those at-risk of entering the work force. Through its work in low-income carpet weaving communities, GW has direct access to communities in need and can readily identify children and families requiring rescue and rehabilitation, education and other services.
GoodWeave sponsors education and welfare projects in collaboration with government & non-governmental organizations. This aim is achieved by levying royalties from importers in the consumer countries for investment in social programs to benefit children and weaving communities in the Producer Countries.
Health
In early 2010 GoodWeave successfully piloted a new health program for workers at two carpet-weaving factories in Panipat. By educating and highlighting the health risks involved in carpet-weaving - such as inhalation of fiber dust - the initiative sets out to encourage workers to take more responsibility for their own health, be aware of potential symptoms and to use the protective equipment supplied, in order to avoid potential illnesses.
The feedback from participants was positive, with workers expressing a desire to extend the program to their families and to provide similar education on the hazards of tobacco and advice on healthy nutrition.
GoodWeave has now rolled out the program to 20 factories in the area which will benefit about 2000 carpet workers & their families. As part of this project, Workers from GoodWeave licensee factories will participate in Health awareness workshops conducted by Advit Foundation, a Gurgaon based NGO. These workers along with their families will also be benefitted with half yearly diagnostic Health camps organised in collaboration with a local hospital and will be abale to avail subsidised medical facilities at the hospital for follow-up visits.
In the fall of 2009, GoodWeave and the Global Fund for Children (GFC) launched a partnership to strengthen community-level programs in Uttar Pradesh.
GFC is working with GoodWeave to identify, vet, co-fund and evaluate community-owned and -operated programs that contribute to the elimination of child labor through education, advocacy and other direct services.
As a result of this joint effort, Human Welfare Association, a Varanasi based NGO is now running 8 Non-formal education centres in the core carpet belt of Bhadohi supported by GoodWeave. The project aims at re-integrating out-of-school children into the formal education system.
Another Allahabad based NGO, Sanchetna, is being supported by GoodWeave to provide schooling for 200 of 14-18 age girl laborers in Carpet weaving communities.
GoodWeave and GFC will continue to build new, innovative programs in weaving communities and will announce new projects in September 2010.
Future Programs:
GoodWeave is also working on starting community level programs in areas of
- livelihood Support
- Health & Nutrition
- Environmental improvement
We are interested to hear from NGOs and Donors interested in working with us. Please contact our Program Director in Delhi for the same.
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Project MUSKAN, expanded in its second year.
GoodWeave now supports 8 NFE Centre in Bhadohi as part of their project MUSKAN. The project started in 2010 with 3 NFE Centre aiming to provide non-formal education to underprivileged kids from Carpet weaving communities. seeing the overwhelming response from weaving community, GoodWeave decided to expand the program & added 5 new NFE Centre in the carpet district.
GoodWeave's Project 'Building Healthy Communities' initiated in Panipat.
Health Camps & Awareness workshops are being organized in GoodWeave Licensee factories in Panipat from December 2010 onwards. The project will benefit families of over 2000 workers working in GoodWeave licensee supply chain.
2010 Goodweave U.G.