Globally, girls are condemned and (in some cases) forbidden to do what are considered “male chores”. This destructive culture is blatantly prevalent in almost every sector in our country. And let’s be honest, besides the domestic/household chores and nurturing, is there anything that is considered a female chore? But #MakerKT aims to change just that mindset.
Started in the summer of 2015, #MakerKT has been organizing one after another training sessions in different fields, exclusively for women. “From their early childhood, girls are called out on a number of things that the society forbids them to do. Many live their lives obeying these unnecessary and domineering set of rules set by this misogynistic society of ours. So, it’s a real game changer when girls start challenging this concept of what a female has been told she cannot do,” muses Priya Joshi, co-founder and director of #MakerKT.
Dipti Shrestha from #MakerKT’s original five week workshop held in June-July 2015 claims that the interactive workshop has done wonders for her self growth process. She states that not only has it pushed her towards her life passions and goals but it has even helped her in everyday tasks like fixing wires in her electric appliances.
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Joshi confesses that she got the idea for #MakerKT from a colleague when she was working at Karkhana. She loved the idea and soon enough she and Samana Shrestha, Joshi’s classmate from VASSAR College, brought it to life and launched #MakerKT’s very first workshop.
There is not really any background restrictions or prior knowledge requirements to be eligible for the workshops. But one rule they do implement is that the participants must be within 19 to 48 years of age at the time of trainings. Joshi says that the entry and acceptance of the trainees is done on a first come, first serve basis. She further adds, “One of our goals while starting every new training program is to make the fees as affordable as possible. And for the women who still cannot afford it, we even provide a 50% discount on the fees.”
Roshi Ghimire, a participant from their May 2017 Motorbike and Scooter Repair Workshop, claim that she has taken the learnings from the workshop by heart. She still remembers everything she was taught and does not have to visit repair shops to fix her vehicle.
Joshi says that #MakerKT is very true to its name and the name basically conveys their objectives. Maker is anyone who creates and kt or keti is a female. Ergo, MakerKT enforces forward the idea of a female entrepreneur and that’s exactly what they are doing. #MakerKT confirms that, till date, they have trained around 200 women through its numerous workshops.
(Anweiti Upadhyay)
