Women and girls are trained in skills that can be economically more viable. The training includes marketing skills. The idea is to encourage women to enter occupations that are better-paying and also to help women own their own businesses. Planned skill training for the coming year include – driving, electrical work, gardening, photography, carpentry, plumbing and hair styling.

Astitva case workers provide violence affected women and their families with information about their legal rights and possible courses of action. They help women facing violence to approach counsellors, the police and lawyers. We work with the local police and NGOs to improve services for women facing violence. Women are given practical training on strategies to deal with abusive situations both at home & at work.

The group includes girls from 7 to 18 years of age. Most girls in this community do not finish school. They start working as domestic helps & take on household responsibilities at a young age and the majority get married by the time they are 20 years old.

The Afternoon Young Girls Group is a space for them to talk, play, have fun & learn about things that they wish to learn.  The girls are encouraged to finish school and are provided financial & tutorial support for attending school. They have opportunities to learn computer skills and English. They are also able to take up creative arts such as theatre, painting and music.

Astitva provides day care for the children of working women (most of whom are domestic workers) for the whole working day, 6 days a week. A nominal fee is charged, based on the family’s income. The crèche is a model one, with a variety of toys & creative materials for play and learning activities and nutritious meals and snacks.

With the collaboration of the Latika Roy Foundation, children with special needs from the community are also able to come to the crèche and receive specialised care from a doctor, physiotherapist.

With the support of volunteer doctors, Astitva organizes a child and family health clinic twice a week and an obstetric and gynaecology clinic once a week. Besides this we have activities for generating awareness about women’s health issues and ways of preventing diseases.

The Astitva second hand shop is a busy outlet where low income people from the community come to buy used clothes and goods at cheap rates. The clothes and goods are collected and donated by supporters of Astitva in Dehradun and Delhi and sometimes even come in from abroad. The money that comes in from the shop goes towards supporting women start their businesses.