Shop for a cause

handicrafts

Over a hundred NGOs from across Maharashtra will be showcasing their products at the Yellow Ribbon Fair next month before Diwali. The fair, to be organisd at the Ishanya Mall, aims to provide a platform for NGOs to create a dedicated user base of their products, generate income and eventually create awareness about their work.

You can buy handicrafts, notebooks and wrist bands at the Yellow Ribbon Fair

The fair also offers an opportunity for NGOs to discover, share, network and produce new ideas. Shilpa Mishra, senior associate at Akanksha Foundation, one of the NGOs participating at the fair, said, "Our mission is to provide quality education to children from low-income communities, enabling them to maximise their potential and transform their lives.

Also on sale will be cloth bags

We will be having trays, diaries, laptop bags, storybooks, colouring kits as well as lots of colorful diyas and paper lanterns for Diwali, on sale."

Mishra adds that the NGO has been a part of the fair for the last five years, and it has helped them bond with like-minded people and serious buyers. "We hope to connect with more people and make them aware of our cause. I think the
artwork by our students will surely impact the buyers," she says.

You can shop for your Diwali lights

Showcasing the art and craft of India, the fair will also have artisan groups showcasing traditional Paithanis and Tussar silk sarees, jewellery, cane products, candles, diyas and terracotta artifacts. Visitors can buy delectable sweets and snacks, and
handmade cards at the fair.

Meena Bedarkar, founder of Nirmalaya Trust, which works for handicapped people and helps them gain employment, says, "Everybody needs a platform and this fair gives people from our organisation a chance to learn and get the feel of selling artifacts made by them. Here, they interact directly with customers, which encourages them to put in more effort and quality in the items if they don't turn out as required."

The Nirmalaya Trust has been participating at the fair for about three years, and will be selling bags made from jute, small items such as yoga mats, rugs and piggy banks made by the visually challenged people of the NGO." So, head to the venue and contribute towards the growth of these NGOs.