The women who participate in Bethania Kids Women’s Empowerment Programs face the difficult challenge of intense poverty, often coupled with spousal abuse, abandonment and/or alcoholism.
In addition to vocational training, the women share their stories and receive emotional support from staff and other participants, gaining the benefit of counseling and guidance as they work through many life challenges they face. Coming from different faith traditions, the women also learn of God’s love for them and their families. As participants begin to earn income, they gain self-confidence, a new sense of independence, and heightened respect from their families and their communities alike.
Participants are selected on the basis of dire family circumstances and financial need. The two-year program includes:
Several women have bought their own sewing machines (a 3-4 year investment) and now earn their living as tailors in their communities. Bethania Kids shipped 35 new sewing machines to India in late 2018 for use at our WEP sites.
Mabel’s Women’s Empowerment Program, our first WEP, was opened in 2003. Our newest WEP site is the Annapoorani Women’s Tailoring and Embroidery Centre opened in the spring of 2020 at Kannivadi, the site of our Dayavu Home for Boys. The new centre is the result of generous gifts from Rajesh Subramaniam, CEO of California-based EmbedUR, and Elizabeth and Kraig Olejniczak, long-time donors and members of our Board of Advisors. We are grateful for their contributions to bright futures for many women in the Kannivadi community!