How Pins And Needles Helps Offer Livelihood With Dignity To Underprivileged Women And Girls

Pins and needles is an endeavour by Simran Preet Kaur to train underprivileged women in the dying art of embroidery and provide them with a livelihood.

Humanity and generosity have taken a backseat these days. Most of us are busy with our life, failing to even recognise – let alone offering a helping hand – to the hardship that people around us are going through. There a huge bunch of people in our country who not only belong to the below poverty line criteria set by our Government but also have family members suffering from life threatening diseases.

The poor families of these ailing and fragile people often travel to bigger cities in hope of better hospitals and better treatment. The entrances and the corridors of Government hospitals are filled with huge crowds spending their day and night at that very place as they have no other home to go to in an unknown city. They are rendered homeless just hoping for a better treatment for the families members inside the hospitals rooms.

What is behind Pins and Needles?

Founded by Mrs. Simran Preet Kaur – a resident of Greater Kailash Delhi and a social worker, Pins and Needles offers a lot of satisfaction to the underprivileged with ailing family members.

Sitting in her beautiful garden at her home, Simran Preet Kaur explains the idea behind Pins and Needles –  “To empower girls and women and also reviving the dying art of embroidery.”

The organisation gets in touch with ladies of these families who are often subjected to depression owning to financial issues and illness in the families and get them involved in learning the art embroidery and making beautifully embroidered hoops.

These hoops are then sold in the market by the members of Pins and Wheels and the entire revenue is given to the ladies involved in the making of the hoops.

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Its a unique way of involving the ladies into something constructive which also serves as a source of income for them in an unknown place.

As beautifully explained by Simran Preet Kaur, “The mind is diverted from disease and daily life problems. They see colour in their life in form of cloth and threads. It is very therapeutic and they earn by making these.”

The entire procurement of raw materials like hoops, fabric and threads are also done by the members of Pins and Needles. They choose various designs which also include theme based designs like Birthday, Mothers Day, Festive Greetings, Home Coming etc. The ladies are then skilled in transferring the designs into the hoops. Eventually what you get is a beautifully crafted and hand embroidered hoop which can be gifted to friends, families and colleagues.

The products are not only limited to hoops but have extended to embroidery on pillow covers, towels, bed sheets, and bags.

The marketing of the products are also undertaken by Pins and Needles. The hoops are sold at various boutiques and shops across Delhi. The members themselves use them as gifts for their families and friends – this way they spread a message about products sold by Pins and Needles, and also the concept behind the idea.

At present around 100 hoops are sold each month giving livelihood to several women.

When asked about her future plans Mrs Simran Kaur says, “My idea is to get these ladies some permanent embroidery work at a boutique or in an export house. Even if they go to their village they can still make pillow covers, bed sheets, etc. to earn.”

She adds by saying that her journey of being able to empower women and girls in different has been extremely satisfying and she would continue to do so.

Pins and Needles can be contacted through their Instagram Page .

Image source: Pins and Needles

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