about us

What is Nayi Asha

Our History

In 2004 Nishtha Rural Health, Education and Enviroment Centre offered training in tailoring to village women who desperately needed a source of income to help sustain their families. As they graduated, Dr. Barbara Nath-Wiser, Nishtha director, worked with our trainer Maya Devi to develop a variety of bags which are both practical and beautiful. The group now has 6 members who are all skilled in creating a wide range of unique products for sale both in India and abroad. In 2018 the group chose the name Nayi Asha which means New Hope for themselves and registered as a Cooperative Society in order to market their products.
We invite you to choose from our styles and colors to order the very bag that will become your close companion for years to come!

Nayi Asha means New Hope

Meet the Team

Neelam has been a member of this group for 7 years now. Her husband works as a labourer which is a hard life with little reward. She is blessed with two sons who are still at school. The family has some land but she really enjoys stitching so is happy to be able to make a little money from work which she loves and which she can do in her own time. Her earnings from her hard work all go to educating her sons.

Vandhana is not living with her husband but with her two young sons in her mother’s home. Stitching with this group is not her only source of income as she also works as a house maid since she is the sole earner to maintain the household of 4 people. It is however a great help to be able to earn extra in her evenings.

Kamla and Sunita both have husbands who have secure jobs but even so their income barely meets the needs of their households. They enjoy the work so they are very happy to be able to earn in this way, and it helps them cover school and medical expenses or buy clothing for the family.

Kamla and Sunita both have husbands who have secure jobs but even so their income barely meets the needs of their households. They enjoy the work so they are very happy to be able to earn in this way, and it helps them cover school and medical expenses or buy clothing for the family.

Maya for example is married with a husband who earns only the minimum wage. Their household includes her son who is also a labourer and his wife and little baby. Without her income things would be very tough. She however is happy and pleased that she can earn money out of making beautiful bags which people love. She is proud of her skills and ability to teach others and run this group.

Similarly Monu has a labourer husband and two children, a boy and a girl who both need good food and money to buy uniforms and books. Family expenses are never ending!

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