Eka - A collective safe space for women and children
By Vamika Jain
By Vamika Jain
A non-profit association building financial independence for women across Central India.
Eka provides girls and women a safe space to meet, learn and participate in activities together
The rooms of the center are filled with girls and women talking and laughing with each other; here, they learn together and help each other grow.
Mehreen takes computer classes for children at Eka and teaches English-Hindi typing and MS Paint
At Eka, children are encouraged to use computer applications. They are given freedom to choose what they learn which keeps them engaged as they shift between typing or Paint or games.
The children attending classes are of different age groups which makes their learning more diverse
Apart from learning computer applications, children are also given two computers to learn their hardware design by dismantling and then reinstalling everything together. The variety and freedom given in exercises hold the children together.
Shabnam ji manages Hunar and conducts stitching classes at Eka
Shabnam ji has been working with Eka for two years now. She supervises the stitching workshops and has been teaching young girls and women how to make cotton masks, bags, dresses and books throughout the pandemic lockdown
Fabric measurement and stitching at Eka's skill development workshop
The girls gather around and sit together in the central area to learn various techniques of stitching and material handling from Shabnam ji
Sayra ji is involved in the Community based Legal Aid Cell at Eka
Along with other members and volunteers, bi-monthly social protection camps are organised in the bastis to create awareness around cases of women, youth and children facing violence and abuse and also assists the community in accessing support for these causes.
Drawings and posters about the various endeavours of Eka
Eka's Community Development Initiative is based in marginalized urban slum communities of Bhopal. They work intensively with communities and duty-bearers at various levels, often engaging them in inter-faces for dialogue and pooling of energies for collective community action on local issues.
Anam has actively worked throughout the Covid lockdown in managing Baccha Rasoi for kids nutrition
Having been a part of Eka for the last 5 years, Anam, along with other members and volunteers has managed Baccha Rasoi during Covid lockdown and ensured food delivery to new born babies, young kids and pregnant women in the nearby slum settlements according to their nutrition requirements.
Women learning to stitch at Eka
The central space at Eka where sewing machines are installed for skill development and stitching workshops
Some products designed and created at Eka's stitching workshop programme
The cotton masks, bags, books, cushion covers and dresses stitched at Eka are sold at local organisations and also distributed to children in the nearby localities
Amreen has been long associated with Eka and now primarily manages the accounts and administration
Along with the office management, Amreen has been engaged in the field work at Eka in organising workshops and conversations with women and young children in the urban settlements. During lockdown, she assisted in creating a library at the centre for kids and is actively working with teenage girls
A usual day at Eka- The Communicators' Collective
On a regular day at Eka, every rooms hosts a different activity and works with a diverse range of people
A collective of adolescent girls learn various skills at Eka
Hunar, at Eka, aspires to create livelihood opportunities for artisans from poorest families by engaging them in revival of traditional art and crafts leading to financial independence of women and their families.
Cotton masks in the process of getting designed and stitched
During the Covid lockdown, Shabnam ji has been teaching how to stitch cotton marks with traditional print fabrics which are sustainable and reusable
The entrance of Eka headquarters in Bhopal
The entrance of Eka headquarters in Bhopal which is now a safe learning space for children and women of the nearby communities
In between work at Eka's skill development programme
Shabnam ji and Anam discussing the inventory of workshop materials and activities of past week
Entryway to the main activity area at Eka
Eka is a vibrant place full of children of all age groups, coming together to learn
Learning MS Paint at Eka's computer class for children
Children are fond of learning MS Paint as it provides them a tool to explore the visuality of their thoughts
A usual working day at Eka
By creating learning spaces for women, Eka aspires to make them financially independent
Wall of adornment at Eka, Bhopal
Common display space at Eka
About the Photographer
Vamika Jain (b. 1993, India) is a visual artist and photographer currently living and working in Bhopal. She graduated with a Master of Design in Photography from National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar in 2020 and completed her Bachelor of Architecture from School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal in 2016. As a student, with a scholrship from the Goethe-Institut, she attended the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, Germany in 2017 as part of an exchange programme. Her practice is an inquiry into environmental co-existence, places: non-places and intersection of popular culture with human aspirations.
Vamika primarily works with photography, text, found information, video and installation. With her work, she wants to deconstruct the existing forms of visual representation. She also wishes to make people inquisitive about their interaction with technology and more aware about their perception of natural and urban landscape. Vamika is the recent recipient of NID-MNF award for outstanding project rooted in social, cultural and political inquiries.
Project Location
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
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