Kanpur: In the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s rural communities, a grassroots initiative is creating new opportunities for women to become financially independent. RSPL Group recently launched Ujjwal Sangini Swayam Sahayata Samuh at an event in Kanpur, bringing local women together through Self-Help Groups to build livelihoods, strengthen community participation and encourage greater awareness on washing habits and hygiene. The launch event, themed, Unkahi Baatein, engaged participants in heartfelt conversations around women’s daily lives, household responsibilities, personal aspirations, and hopes for a brighter future for their children through better education and opportunities. It also highlighted the importance of financial independence and self-reliance among rural women, followed by an engaging rapid-wash activity showcasing new RSPL products.
Under the initiative, each Self-Help Group (SHG) known as ‘Sanginis’, engage with households in their villages and neighbouring communities through product demonstrations and sampling. They also organise community activities that encourage conversations around personal hygiene and everyday well-being.
Through this, the initiative aims to help women build financial independence while creating opportunities for learning and community participation. Through regular interactions with households, the Sanginis also help make products more accessible to the rural consumers.
To date, Self-Help Groups have been formed across Shivrajpur, Ghatampur, Chaubepur, Kakwan and Bilhaur in Kanpur. On-ground demonstration and product sampling activities are being prepared as part of the initiative’s rollout.
Commenting on the initiative, Kushalta Gyanchandani, RSPL Group, said, “We believe empowering women at the grassroots is the need of the hour, and it goes beyond creating employment opportunities. Financial independence is important, but so is access to the right information on health and hygiene, and the confidence to participate in the community. The thought behind Ujjwal Sangini Swayam Sahayata Samuh was to bring these elements together and create opportunities for women to grow, and find a voice for themselves.”
RSPL Group plans to extend the model to more densely populated blocks in other districts of Uttar Pradesh, with the long-term aim of taking it to other parts of the country. The expansion will focus on building a wider network of rural women who can support livelihood generation and community engagement at the local level.
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