Pink Belt Mission: Aware and empower women
In an exclusive chat with G20, Mansi Chandra, associate of Pink Belt Mission, talks about her endeavours. Excerpts:
Q. How did you and Aparna Rajawat join hands for your initiatives?
A. Aparna, the founder of Pink Belt Mission had come up with the idea of holding a one-day self-defence workshop, with the aim of translating it to the Guinness book of records for the largest workshop ever conducted. Agra being her hometown, she decided to do the event her and was seeking help to conduct this massive event. While doing so, she met my father who suggests her to meet me. Meanwhile, when she called me up I was very reluctant thinking of the consequences of associating with people who might be working for a social cause but want disguised earnings. After a conversation on phone, I met her and I could instantly connect with her and the cause. My ideology for the factory women and on how I look forward to empowering them was something that interested Aparna and both of us could build trust and mutual respect for each other.
With a positive feeling,
I decided to work with Aparna and Pink Belt Mission for the workshop but eventually developed a companionship that I did not expect. It’s been almost a year since I am associated with Pink Belt
Mission and look forward to doing great work together with Aparna
Q. What is the motto of Pink
Belt Mission?
A. The mission statement of Pink Belt Mission is ‘Empowering and supporting women by spreading digital awareness, giving safety education to handle any abuse as well as providing vocational training to start their own micro-business’.
Through these years this has been the goal and with every passing day, Aparna & I aim to impact the lives of more women & children and make a difference.
Q. How are you working to empower the weaker and the vulnerable sections of society? A. According to me, history has witnessed that the underprivileged always succumb to any mal condition. In a vastly populated country like India, the count of hunger death would have been a concern along with the ongoing pandemic.
As an entrepreneur, the least I could do was providing a complete monthly salary to my factory workers till we opened the factory. Apart from monetary gains, I could hear women talking about gaining respect in their family as they were the only wage earners during the pandemic and this is the impact Aparna & I are envisioning.
Q. You have already been awarded the Guinness World record for February 2020 event. Share the mammoth idea that translated into a hardcore reality.
A. My major concern was people coming for the event. With most schools and colleges having the end-term exams and in a city like Agra where women don’t leave their homes for any fancies, be it a glimpse of an actor or a politician, it was indeed a worry. While I was working on the backend, Aparna had taken the lead and was determined to encourage young girls of the city to attend this event, against all odds.
Aparna is a lady to watch out for when she is interacting. People in Agra could connect with her and be interested in what she was saying, understanding what her point is. I saw fathers who took a holiday from work only to bring their daughters to the event and witness something that Aparna & I had never imagined. It is Pink Belt Mission’s sheer dedication and passion to bring about a change and help women communities that could translate this event, making it one of the greatest achievements for me.
Q. Where do you see Pink Belt Mission in the next 5 years? A. Currently, the only factor in terms of help Aparna & I would require will be women helping each other, the privileged supporting the unprivileged parts of the society, and as a community people ensure societal consciousness for women in our country.
Unfortunately, regarding funding with a social cause, Pink Belt Mission have come across people who prefer commercial benefits or goodwill mentions and look forward to elaborating the mission by collaborating with people or institutions who share the same vision as I do.