Women living in Kodagahalli (a village) and Beedi Colony (a poor neighborhood outside a small town) in the state of Karnataka, now have a reason to celebrate. The reason is not related directly to the holiday season, as it is not really holiday season in their village or their neighborhood. But this reason is something much bigger and has the potential to change their lives forever!

Ubuntu at Work, an organization started by Vibha Pinglé, was born out of a desire Vibha had to provide entrepreneurship opportunities to women who had no means, skills or even dreams of owning their own businesses.  Vibha’s experiences in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Nepal and India inspired her to come up with an operating model that would work for women who could not work at traditional 9am to 5pm jobs due to cultural or family reasons.

Factoring this in, Ubuntu at Work developed the concept of collaborative workspaces – spaces where women could come and learn skills, like making eco-friendly bags or pashmina scarves. And once they learned the skills they would make products for the domestic markets and the global markets. Vibha worked with professionals and academics from all over the world and assembled a group of committed individuals who agreed to take on the task of finding customers and procuring orders that would keep the Ubuntu at Work women busy.

What is absolutely amazing is the speed with which the women in Kodagahalli and Beedi Colony came up the learning curve. Within a matter of months these women learned how to make fashionable bags, designed by top designers from across the globe. These bags are made of materials that are locally sourced, sustainable and green. And the repertoire extends beyond bags to include high-end scarves, fun puppets and costume jewelry.

This holiday season buy your gifts from the Ubuntu at work bazaar. Where else can you find gifts like cotton bags that tell the story of the women who made them?
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A special showing and sale of Ubuntu at work products is taking place this Saturday from 3pm to 6.30pm at:
25 Cotswold Road
Brookline, MA 02445
Please email achitrapu@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

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