Kedarnath:
A year after the Kedarnath tragedy, 26-year-old Poonam Tiwari still has nightmares. Her husband was among the priests at Kedarnath who are missing when flood waters came down the Kedar valley. While there is still no news of her husband, Poonam holds on to hope that he may yet come back. "My daughter tells me that we haven't seen him, and so there is still a chance" she adds.
While Kedar valley was the worst hit, the bitter irony is that Poonam's village of Bhanigram, located a few kilometers from Guptkashi was spared any damage but lost the most. 53 young men from Deoli and Bhanigram who worked at Kedarnath never returned. They were the main bread winners for their families.
With the men gone, the responsibilities of earning a living fell on the women. While the government has also provided compensation, most women are aware that this may not be enough.
That's when activist HR Bagwari stepped in. A local resident from the area, Mr Bagwari set up the Mandakini Mahila Bunker Samiti centre in November last year (2013). A self-help group which has been training the women to spin, weave and make quality woollen shawls and other items.
"A few years from now people will forget them, I want that when their products reach the market, people should not say that these were made by widows of the Kedarnath tragedy, but that these are quality products, made by women who faced one of life's toughest challenges' says Mr Bagwari
Mr Bagwari invested 11 lakhs to rent several buildings in the village and also bought and installed several hand loom machines.
300 women work in two shifts starting at 9:30 am and 1:30 pm. All get a minimum stipend of 1500 as they learn weaving.
"This way everyone in the village has come together as a support group," says Mr Bagwari who feels that his hands on approach will help these women gather self-confidence.
Mr Bagwari says that he is looking for sponsorship or collaborations with other NGOs also working in the area. But is banking on the determination of the women to make the project viable in the long-run.