Business Remedies | Charu Bhatia | Senior News Editor | In conversation with Mrs. Bhawna Bansal, Founder of Hunar Foundation. Hunar Foundation is an NGO, based in Jaipur, working with the aim to empower women and provide an opportunity to convert their skills into a dependable source of income. Besides, it also functions as an agency promoting the message of environmental protection through its uniquely designed programmes. Here is an informative series of Q and A, which highlights the journey of the foundation and altogether, its success story.
Question: It is a pleasure to talk to you about an initiative which is on its way to bring a positive change in the society. Could you please share with us how did the idea of establishing such an organization occur in your mind?
Answer: Well, yes. I would like to share the fact that I was pursuing a job earlier but post-marriage, due to enhanced family responsibilities, I was not able to continue the job. For next decade, I remained busy with my family, but when my son grew, the passion to do something productive rejuvenated. I could then better understand the struggles a woman faces and how she has to sacrifice her interests for her family. Keeping such sacrifices in mind, I founded Hunar Foundation, where all those women who want to reignite their purposes can find a platform to not only express their creativity but also earn from their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. In this way, I also spotted myself as capable of returning back to society my due of social and moral duties.
Question: This sounds really encouraging. Please elaborate on the journey, aims and programmes of the organization.
Answer: Hunar Foundation is a non-governmental organization, founded in 2019 and works on two broad issues prevalent, women empowerment and environment protection. It started as an FB community as a group for creative women, who could easily showcase their talent and skills there. Gradually, it took a structured form and today, more than 32000 females are a part of the foundation. However, during the initiation, there were only 15 females and I remember going to Kitty parties but not really cherishing them as I thought there should be add on value to such non-productive meetings. The basic idea of establishing the foundation is making women empowered and capable enough to sustain their livelihoods. Hunar Foundation organizes various contests, sessions on social issues, health check up camps. We also cater to several goals in the social sphere. We not only aim to encourage women’s abilities but also promote skill development for them. We also run various exhibitions under the name ‘Karigiri,’ which are a collection of products made by women. We also conduct various awareness campaigns, marathons, cyclothon etc.
Question: This is a lot of positive work actually. Could you further talk about the working hierarchy of the foundation?
Answer: Yes. The head office of the foundation is in C-Scheme, Jaipur. The top three positions pertain to Founder/ President, Director and Treasurer. Our core team consists of 20 members and there are 150 other members in the foundation. We regularly meet online as some members are from outside Jaipur too. We also have a minimum membership fee for joining so that the serious intent with which we work is communicated at the first instance only to the new member.
Question: Since this is a huge task that you do, how do you ensure the financial health of the foundation. Also, throw light on the challenges you faced initially for receiving funds.
Answer: This is indeed huge and therefore, in the initiation, we could only self-finance but as the concept reached masses, people started to trust the foundation and its aims and thereby, we were able to carve a good reputation for ourselves. Gradually, we started to receive CSR fundings. We also have been receiving funds from big players in the market, like Parampara Food Oil, Mojika Group, EHCC hospital etc. During the infant stage of the foundation, yes, we did face challenges because no one wants to invest in a just born organization but as you grow, people start believing in your objective and value system and this is how we made a mark in the society.
Question: How important do you think government’s support in endeavours like yours is? How much did you receive the same for the foundation?
Answer: I believe that support of government is essential for any organization, because that is how people will be educated and made aware about the objective of the organization and thereby the social cause. Government’s hand is crucial for visibility in the market, amongst the common people. Hunar has collaborated on various occasions for different events with the government. I can give you a recent example of an event we organized at Jawahar Circle, in support with Nagar Nigam, Jaipur. It was truly a great event, and reached common people.
Question: When you are working actively in the field, there are many competitors who are always eyeing your actions. How do you see this and whom do you consider the biggest competitor in the market?
Answer: Well, I would say I am myself my biggest competitor. My aim everyday is to be better than yesterday at my work and this enhances my potential. We have a very creative team working and the members are always brainstorming and so do I. We believe in original ideas and implement and at certain times, I have found others copying our ideas and concepts but that is also visible to the people. People around are intelligent. We do it first, so that is self-explanatory for our followers.
Question: Surely, there would have been a great number of women, who have earned name and fame through your platform. Can you share something about those women?
Answer: Hunar is proud to host not only urban women trying to find their identities back but also rural women, who want to try a new skill or redefine their existing capabilities. As far as successful women who could effectively display their skills and earn money out of it, I remember Neeta Joshi, who is an exemplary writer and Sadhana Kishore Sharma, who tried her hands in cooking and have achieved something out of it.
Question: Please tell us about the recent and upcoming programmes or events that you have organized and will be organizing.
Answer: Hunar keeps organizing programmes at regular intervals to reach to a broader number of people. Recently, on Earth Day, we organized Marathon. We have also conducted a Parinda Painting competition in collaboration with Forest department. We are planning for two big events/ editions for this year, one for Rakhi and one for Diwali. We have also been working on the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, which results in converting garbage into manure. There are ongoing efforts on how to percolate the knowledge down to the grassroots level.
Question: In today’s world, marketing is of utmost importance in order to gain recognition for the work you do. What marketing techniques do you use to reach people?
Answer: Hunar has an extensive and well-developed network on social media. The major of networking happens on groups and social media updates. Also, the most trusted way of marketing for us is word-of-mouth publicity. Whatever females experience here, at our platform, bears a testimony to our work.
Interviewd By:
Charu Bhatia
