Mon Ami Foundation - Blogs #livelihoodMon Ami Foundation - Blogs #livelihoodhttps://www.monamifoundation.com/blogs/tag/livelihoodThu, 09 Apr 2026 02:23:44 +0530http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[AI and Women’s Day: From Speed to Equality]]>https://www.monamifoundation.com/blogs/post/ai-and-women-s-day-from-speed-to-equalityOn Women’s Day, Mon Ami Foundation reframes AI as a tool for equity, empowering women with knowledge, financial fluency, and partnerships to drive sustainable growth and global progress.]]>
International Women's Day

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and everyday life—automating tasks, accelerating decisions, and reshaping opportunities. Yet, most applications remain focused on efficiency. At Mon Ami Foundation, we believe Women’s Day is the perfect moment to reframe AI as more than a tool for speed. It must become a lever for equity, sustainability, and collaboration.

 

Breaking Information Asymmetry

(SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth)

Women have historically faced barriers due to limited access to information and decision-making tools. AI can dismantle these barriers by democratizing access to knowledge in finance, healthcare, nutrition, and education.

  • The Impact: When women are equipped with AI-driven decision support systems, they can participate more fully in economic activity.
  • The Result: A direct advancement of SDG 8, fostering decent work and economic growth for all.

 

Financial Empowerment as a Catalyst

(SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production)

We know that when women gain access to funds and financial decision-making, they uplift entire families and communities. AI-powered financial literacy tools can amplify this impact by:

  • Simplifying investments and decoding complex loan terms.
  • Forecasting household budgets with precision.
  • Guiding sustainable choices in consumption and production.

By directing resources toward responsible use, AI contributes to SDG 12, ensuring a healthier planet and more resilient local economies.

 

Moving Beyond Literacy to AI Fluency

(SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals)

The social sector has long focused on financial literacy for women. The next frontier is AI fluency—equipping women to use intelligent systems that provide real-time, personalized guidance.

"Whether it’s nutrition apps suggesting affordable, healthy meals or finance dashboards highlighting savings opportunities, these tools can transform women’s agency."

Achieving this requires deep collaboration across governments, social enterprises, and technology innovators. This synergy is the heart of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

 

Women’s Day Call to Action

On this Women’s Day, let’s reframe AI as a tool for equity, sustainability, and collaboration. By ensuring women have equal access to AI-driven decision support systems, we don't just accelerate gender equality—we accelerate global progress.

 

 

]]>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:03:36 +0530<![CDATA[Internships in Social Organizations: Building Empathy and Perspective]]>https://www.monamifoundation.com/blogs/post/internships-in-social-organizations-building-empathy-and-perspectiveInternships in social organizations nurture empathy, cultural sensitivity, and problem‑solving in students while offering enterprises youthful innovation, bridging gaps, and strengthening artisan communities through sustainable, impactful collaboration.]]>
Internships in Social Organizations

Internships are often seen as stepping stones into corporate careers, but their role in social organizations is equally vital. College students should be encouraged to spend at least 4–6 weeks interning with social enterprises. This experience not only broadens their understanding of the sector but also nurtures empathy—an essential quality for future leaders.

For students, such internships provide exposure to grassroots realities. They learn how social enterprises tackle challenges like sustainability, livelihood creation, and community empowerment. Unlike classroom lessons, these experiences are immersive, teaching adaptability, problem‑solving, and cultural sensitivity. Students return with a deeper appreciation of social impact and a stronger sense of responsibility toward society.

For the enterprises, the benefits are equally significant. Many social organizations operate with limited resources and cannot afford to hire young graduates full‑time. Interns bring fresh perspectives, digital skills, and innovative ideas that help bridge generational and demographic gaps. Their energy and curiosity often spark creative solutions, while their presence strengthens the organization’s connection to younger audiences.

At CraftsAQ, we have been actively encouraging such internships. By connecting students with artisans supported by the Mon Ami Foundation, we create opportunities for them to witness firsthand the resilience, creativity, and individuality of craft communities. This exposure not only enriches students’ learning but also deepens their empathy for artisans whose livelihoods depend on sustainable growth and fair opportunities. It is a powerful way to blend youthful innovation with traditional wisdom.

Educational institutions play a pivotal role in making this connection possible. By integrating social internships into academic programs, colleges can encourage students to step outside conventional career paths. When universities champion these initiatives, they create a culture where social responsibility is valued alongside academic excellence.

In essence, internships in social organizations foster a symbiotic relationship—students gain empathy and practical insights, while enterprises benefit from youthful innovation.

]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:27:24 +0530<![CDATA[Why Should All the Turtles Look the Same?]]>https://www.monamifoundation.com/blogs/post/why-should-all-the-turtles-look-the-sameWhy Should All the Turtles Look the Same? In our CraftHub, this question sparks endless debate:  why should all the turtles look the same?  As ]]>
Turtle
Why Should All the Turtles Look the Same?

In our CraftHub, this question sparks endless debate: why should all the turtles look the same? As we build capacity and train artisans to produce multiple units of the same product, we aim for a remarkable 95% likeness across dozens of pieces. It’s a demanding standard, especially when multiple artisans are racing against deadlines. Even when the design criteria are met, subtle differences emerge—tiny variations in curve, finish, or detail.


Our buyers, though supportive of artisan work, often come from a background of purchasing bulk, machine-made imports from neighbouring countries. They are accustomed to absolute uniformity: rows of identical products, each indistinguishable from the next. Against that backdrop, our handcrafted pieces sometimes feel “different.” And so begins the delightful conversation: why should they all look the same?


Machines excel at replication. They erase individuality in favour of efficiency. But handmade products carry the imprint of the human hand—the rhythm of the artisan’s skill, the nuance of their touch, the story of their craft. Each piece is not just an object; it is a signature. When we pause from machine-made perfection, we discover beauty in individuality. The slight differences are not flaws; they are proof of authenticity.


Uniformity has its place in mass production. But in artisan work, sameness risks stripping away the very soul of the craft. Buyers who embrace individuality are not just purchasing a product; they are investing in heritage, creativity, and human connection. Each turtle, while similar, carries its own personality. And isn’t that worth celebrating?


So, the next time someone asks why all the turtles don’t look the same, perhaps the better question is: why would we want them to?

]]>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:59:02 +0530<![CDATA[Livelihood Rural villages in the heart of Gurgaon]]>https://www.monamifoundation.com/blogs/post/livelihood-ae-rural-villages-in-the-heart-of-gurgaon
 Livelihood Rural villages in the heart of Gurgaon

Stitching and tailoring units are usually the first solution presented to corporate houses who want to put the CSR funds for women livelihood projects.

It is mandatory to understand that women who live in rural areas in the big cities are migrants from different parts of the country. They usually have some lifeskill that they have learnt in the village and they are capable of doing a lot more than just tailoring or doing courses in beauty parlours.
With this clarity we began did a skill assessment of a small group who came to this Gurgaon training center supported by Vipul group. The women who were mostly migrants from Bihar and knew how to knit and crochet. They traditionally used to make mats from old saris and crochet some unused yarn into covers and decorations. A large number of girls are taught basic skills before they are married of at a young age. Many women who were working at the center had very young children. They were all keen to work and were very enthusiastic to show the work they already did. They were made aware that an additional skills of crochet and knitting will further enhance their income generation capacity. This would be all the more desirable because it will not only allow them to work from home at the same time it would require no investment in expensive machines or extra space.
Collaboration with an existing marketing platform would further help enhance their skill and expertise to do special products that are marketable, so that it becomes a viable livelihood option.
With the design skill and marketing platform provided by Mon Ami Foundation, this input will go a long way towards opening a new earning avenue for the underprivileged women who come to our vocational training centre.
The training centre is run by Quota International is a social service organization, committed to improving the lives of the underprivileged, specially women and children.
About 20 women were trained during the firts phase of the project. Thereafter many women have joined in taking regular work home.
]]>Tue, 30 May 2017 20:56:00 +0530<![CDATA[Paris Ethical Fashion]]>https://www.monamifoundation.com/blogs/post/project-ektara-womenaes-skill-development-project

Project Ektara- Womens skill development project

A craft revival project, generating income for marginalised income groups, mostly women in the NCR region. The project provides remunerative work to semi- skilled women. The women craft crochet toys from their homes with the material provided. The toys are made in safe materials that are designed to enhance motor skills, cognitive skills in infants and young children. The project began with a small group of women in Nizamuddin Basti. Hope foundation has a livelihood project and as a part of that women were being imparted training in stitching, embroidery and other craft related activities. They were keen to connect to a new market where their skills of crochet and knitting could be used.


Crocheted and knitting as a craft has been known to women across North India.Crocheted products seen in the market have very limited marketability and have slowly been dwindling.

We began developing toys as handcrafted toys with an Indian identity really dont exist. Traditional toys that have been seen in the market are mostly wooden toys. With the influx of Chinese toys with a lot of plastic we found that there was a huge gap that existed in the Indian market. We mostly wanted to created safe toys that would be ideal for young children. Safe cotton was used, the dyes were carefully done to ensure that the end product that comes out can be easily be used by infants and toddlers. As the product development took place and a small set of products were test marketed we realised the need to expand the production base as well as the designs.


Each design, each product was carefully researched, and tested on young infants before it went to production. Childrens reactions were taken as essentail feedback to better each product.

The project soon became larger with more women joining in. A so called winter skill where women only had work during the winter season to knit sweaters now had work though the year.

At all points of time a fine balance had to be maintained between women who had learnt to mould the toys and to sustain them and to ensure continuous sales. The materials were always provided to them to ensure safety and quality.

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