New Delhi: Here is an inspiring story of a techie, who moved all the way from Bengaluru to Uttarkhand and is now changing the lives of women artisans. Her sustainable model of development has won hearts, making her one of the finest young change-makers in the country.
Born and brought up in Bengaluru, Pratibha Krishnaiah is changing the economic landscapes of Uttarakhand’s villages, which are almost 2,300 kilometers away from her native place.
There are a lot of complaints about Non-governmental Organizations, specifically about the way they function. However, Pratibha has also changed this perception through her selfless service. She has dedicated her entire life to the cause of these women, who are living in the hilly terrains, earning low income due to lack of business opportunities in the region.
Here is the story of ‘Himalayan Blooms’, one of the most popular names in the world. This platform sells handmade, indigenous products of the Himalayan region of the country. It is engaged in helping the rural women artisans from Uttarkhand to market their products without any problems. It is using the traditional skill and knowledge among the women to find a livelihood and build their confidence. The initiative has changed the lives of hundreds of women, who are today earning several thousand every month. They are confident women with smiles on their faces and the credit for this change goes to Pratibha Krishnaiah.
Silicon City to the Himalayas
There is an interesting story behind Pratibha Krishnaiah. After completing her schooling at Sophia High School, Bengaluru, she pursued her BE and joined an MNC for a hefty salary. While working too, she was involved in teaching
children at a school set up by the Sri Ramakrishna Sarada mission in Bengaluru.
However, the turning point came in 2014 when Pratibha resigned from the corporate world and joined the 13-month SBI Youth for India scholarship program, which involves working in rural areas. The idea behind the workshop was to empower the underprivileged-especially women and that was also something that Pratibha was passionate about.
Starting her new journey, she moved to Uttarakhand and realized that this was her calling. Confronting initial challenges, mainly the language barriers, Pratibha managed to perform exceptionally well. In 2015, she moved to a village named Khetikan in Uttarakhand.
Knitting better future
Working in the locales of Uttarakhand, Pratibha realized that the women had great potential and talent in them. Knitting was something that many women in the region knew, and Pratibha decided to take the knitted products from Uttarakhand to the world.
She discussed her plans with a few women and with 10 women on board, Pratibha started off. When these 10 women prospered, many more joined the wagon and thus came into existence the Himalayan Blooms.
In 2015, Pratibha returned to Bengaluru after the completion of her fellowship. An article published about her, after her return, brought Pratiba’s work to the limelight and the article caught the attention of an NRI, Joginder Kundra, who was equally passionate about women’s empowerment, and he came forward to support the venture monetarily.
Kundra, who is the co-founder of the Himalayan Blooms now, had come down from New Jersey, visited the women, and understood the kind of work that was going on before deciding to join hands in the initiative. Simultaneously, when her idea of handing over the project to NGOs did not materialize, she had to decide the future course.
In early 2016, Pratibha returned to Uttarakhand and decided to run the business till it could sustain itself.
Today, the business has not just sustained itself but has sustained many families. The women, who started with basic knitting knowledge, today are making specialized products that leave eyebrows raised. At present, there are over 200 women across 40 villages who are part of the cause, earning between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 a month. The initiative churns out lakhs of rupees as turnover every year.
Himalayan Blooms
The website opens doors to a whole new world of creative products. From rakhis to toys, from warm clothing to baby products, the site is a window that exhibits the talent hidden in rural India.
