At Upaya, we have the privilege of working with driven, tenacious entrepreneurs who are creating jobs for the extreme poor through their early-stage businesses. We’ve seen how these small business leaders step up and fight to support their jobholders, particularly during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
During these extraordinary times, we have been heartened by the many donors who have asked how they can help these jobholders directly. Many of our partner and accelerator companies are finding unique and innovative ways to help their jobholders through this crisis. If you would like to support their efforts, you can learn more here.
Abira Creations
Abira Creations is selling gift vouchers to support the wages and daily needs of the artisans in their community.
In the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's the artisans who are struggling a lot. To ensure their livelihoods through the pandemic, Abira Creations started online sales as all the physical sales channels are closed. But the company can’t move ahead alone.
Abira began selling Gift Vouchers on their website to help them to pay timely wages to their artisans while they are unable to work. Vouchers can be purchased online and redeemed when production is back up and running.
KalaGhar
KalaGhar is raising funds to support its artisans in restoring their lives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Cyclone Amphan. The company is aiming to extend financial support to 60+ families impacted by the crises.
Women artisans working with Sabai Grass in Balasore, Odisha, are facing extremely difficult situation due to two combined calamities – COVID-19 & Cyclone Amphan.
KalaGhar works with 60+ women artisans who mostly depend on the earnings from crafts and their own crops. Male members of their families do betel farming and depend on its sales for their livelihoods.
Due to extended lockdown because of COVID-19, sales of handicrafts and betel leaves have both almost stopped, and their families are struggling to make ends meet. During the same period of struggle, on May 20th, 2020 the Cyclone Amphan had made landfall in eastern India and Bangladesh, it has lashed coastal areas with ferocious wind and rain, causing widespread destruction. This has made the situation unbearably challenging for them.
This fundraiser is an effort to rebuild and restore these lives.
Tamul Plates
Tamul Plates launched a campaign to raise $70,000 for direct cash transfer to their jobholders in Assam. They hope to help these families weather the storm until they’re be able to pay regular wages.
Over the last 10 years, Tamul Plates has created 5000 dignified jobs for extremely poor women in very interior villages of Assam by producing and selling biodegradable disposable dinnerware. The COVID-19 lockdown has severely affected the livelihoods of these women. Some of these livelihood activities are also seasonal with major income happening during the months of March to June. Thus, due to the loss of income, they are struggling to meet their needs. These communities now are highly dependent on Tamul to provide them additional support to overcome this crisis. Tamul is raising funds to support these families during the crisis.
THOA
The House of Artisans (THOA) is providing financial support to its artisans to save them from having to take out expensive loans to get through the crisis.
Because of the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, THOA’s artisans have lost work and hence have no means to earn a living. With no business, no raw materials, and no movement, they have no work and are returning to their home towns in panic. Many artisans may have no choice but to beg or borrow money from local money lenders to survive through the crisis.
THOA is aiming to support their artisans with basic financial stability to save them from taking debts that will take them an entire lifetime to repay.
YouCare
YouCare is providing immediate monetary relief through the YouCare Caregiver Fund to help their caregivers meet their essential needs.
As we continue to stay at home, the livelihood of the caregiver community has almost come to a complete standstill.
YouCare caregivers have always gone the extra mile for their clients, turning up each day with a smile on their faces. However, caregivers are unable to move and work during these challenging times. Join us in supporting those who’ve always been there for us.
