Sambhali Boutique / November 17, 2019 by Jessica Marteinson

The Sambhali Boutique is something you won’t want to miss if you’re visiting Jodhpur, especially if you’re shopping for family and friends back home. Here you’ll find unique, handmade items, all in support of a great cause - women’s empowerment.

The Sambhali Boutique storefront in November, 2018. While it has since moved, it’s still located in Jodhpur’s city center.

The block-printed scarves, hand-made and embroidered toys, clothes, bags and accessories available in the shop all have been produced locally in the Sambhali Studio, staffed with graduates from the Sambhali Empowerment Centres. The Sambhali Studio currently employs 29 women.

The steady income the women earn allows them to provide for themselves and their children. Younger women are able to become more independent, deferring marriage and increasing the chance that they will experience greater equity with their future husbands. In a society where women face poverty, discrimination and violence, and where child marriage still regularly occurs, the Sambhali Studio provides a tremendous opportunity for women to take more control of their life and regain their sense of worth.

All items are tagged with the name of the woman who produced it, adding a personal touch.

The money you spend at the Sambhali Boutique goes directly to the women who work in the Studio and to Sambhali Trust. I’m always looking for opportunities when I travel to give back and this is one small way. And, you’ll come away with some absolutely beautiful items to help you remember your time in Jodhpur and India.

Educate a Woman... / October 27, 2019 by Jessica Marteinson

‘If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.’ – African Proverb

A student becomes the teacher to a young girl who had accompanied her mother to the Laadli Empowerment Centre that day.

To learn more about @SambhaliTrust and how you can contribute, visit their website: www.sambhali-trust.org/

Taken in Jodhpur, India. November, 2018

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Samhali Trust's Empowement Centre in Setrawa / October 27, 2019 by Jessica Marteinson

A woman works away at a sewing project, possibly a garment for herself or someone in her family, or even for someone in the community who has commissioned the work. Learning to sew gives women in the small desert village of Setrawa the possibility of earning their own income, allowing them to support themselves and their family.

The Setrawa Empowerment Centre is run by #SambhaliTrust, an organization dedicated to empowering and supporting women and girls. Based in Jodhpur, #SambhaliTrust runs various programs that provide education, vocational training and support to women, with the aim of breaking the cycle of property.

The women are focused and serious about what they are doing. The opportunity to pursue a personal dream, in a society where they are oppressed and suffer economically, is invaluable.

There is a sense of camaraderie in the empowerment centers and that the women who attend the sewing program support each other is evident at every turn.

The pride that these women have is clear, as you watch them work and when you witness the completion of a project. The aim of the 12 month sewing program offered by #SambhaliTrust is to provide each graduate with their own sewing machine, so that they can continue to sew at home and provide an income for their family.

To learn more about @SambhaliTrust and how you can help, visit their website: www.sambhali-trust.org/

Photos taken in Setrawa, Rajasthan, India. November 2018.

#Jodhpur #Rajasthan #India #grassroots #NGO
#PWB #Photographerswithoutborders #storytelling #sambhalitrust #PWBschool #india #jodhpur #womensempowerment #unity #morethanphotographers #travelphotography #seethroughanewlens #education #photography #travelabroad #photojournalism #ethicalstorytelling #ungoals #unitednations #unsustainabledevelopmentgoals #sustainability #womensrights #femaleempowerment

Sambhali Trust / October 27, 2019 by Jessica Marteinson

The Sambhali Trust Empowerment Centres in Jodhpur provide underprivileged women with the opportunity to obtain a basic education. Subjects taught include Hindi and English.

In patriarchal Rajasthan, educating women is not deemed to be of any value. Many are denied the chance to study – the literacy rate of women in this part of India is only around 52%. As such, women are trapped in a cycle of poverty, facing discrimination and violence, and lacking the freedoms that we take for granted.

The women who attend Sambhali are eager to learn, focused, and proud of their accomplishments – gaining confidence and building self-esteem.

To learn more about @SambhaliTrust and how you can contribute, visit their website: www.sambhali-trust.org/

Photos taken in Jodhpur, India. November 2018.

PWB School India / August 31, 2019 by Jessica Marteinson

In November of 2018 I had the opportunity to travel to India with Photographers Without Borders (PWB) as a part of one of their workshops, partnering with a local NGO @SambhaliTrust

I'd been looking for a way to put a greater emphasis on my photography while traveling. I also had this growing feeling that I needed to give back to the places I was traveling to and the people residing there in a more meaningful and impactful way. PWB brings all these elements together and as I read about their School in India, it seemed to be perfect for me.

And it truly was.

It's hard to express in words what the experience has meant to me. What I valued the most was the time we spent with @SambhaliTrust, learning about their programs, meeting all the people involved, especially the women and girls who benefit from the services provided, and having the opportunity to photograph it all.

I was fortunate enough to experience this with an amazing group of people - like-minded, from around the world, with varying degrees of experience in photography. We learned a lot from each other. It was also my first time in India, which was incredible in and of itself. I’ve come away from this feeling that my photography has improved and I have a new sense of purpose for both my photography and travel going forward.

If you are considering a PWB workshop, I would encourage you to go for it!

To find out more, visit @photographerswithoutborders for School workshops planned for 2020.