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Kumkum |
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"With my hands,
heart and soul,
I breathe life into these,
My sangini, join me,
Kumkum is the place to be."
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Kumkum, the Self Help Group, initiated by ARCH, embodies purity, faithfulness, loyalty, trust and respect on one hand and vitality, endurance, enthusiasm and creativity on the other, just like its name.
Kumkum aspires to motivate women towards economic empowerment, enhance confidence levels and create solidarity amongst them, by creating products that are a mark of their handmade skills and entrepreneurial spirits- transforming them from 'being alive' to 'living with dignity'.
These handmade products by the women, the stakeholders, have their own stories to tell- stitching their experiences, painting their realities, weaving their own tales, creating their views of the world, transforming that mundane craft piece into a testimony of their lives.
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The Journey
Kumkum is an initiative undertaken by Ms Archana Surana, Director, ARCH Academy of Design. Her vision to enable endeavors towards establishing a ‘self-definition for women’ by encouraging, empowering and educating potential women entrepreneurs to create their own business or social enterprise, has led her to support women’s causes across various forums.
In 2007, she represented India in the “International Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership Program” of VITAL VOICES Global Partnership launched in public private partnership with the U S State Department and Fortune Magazine at New York, as a U S State Alumni and Fortune Mentee.
As a part of the Program, she was mentored under Andrea Jung, CEO, Avon Products, towards sharing and observing the international business practices and management skills and cultivating a valuable network of international women leaders in business.
In 2010, she was awarded Vital Voices Exxon Mobil Challenge Grant for Vital Arch Women Leadership Program to develop business and entrepreneurial skills among young women in India.
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