In yet another step toward helping India’s poor achieve financial stability, Hands of Freedom has created a daily marketplace where the women in its business development ministry can sell their handcrafted products after receiving vocational training. Proceeds from the sale of these goods – which include everything from clothing and jewelry to food items – will help these women to pay for medical expenses and send their children to school. As many as 100 women are expected to participate as vendors.
Hands of Freedom’s business development training covers topics such as product selection, pricing, marketing and management. Members who have the skill set to start a business are offered this training. Economic stability is a key to keeping families out of the hands of loan sharks, traffickers and legalized slavery known as “bonded labor”.