JYOTI E.V.
charitable work
With the aim of being able to offer our team members in India further training opportunities and social benefits that go beyond the usual level of a fair fashion company, we founded Jyoti eV in 2018 in close cooperation with our Indian partner NGOs Jyothi Seva Kendra (Chittapur) and Nava Chetana Kendra (Londa). By financing and planning workshops in areas such as workers' rights, women's rights, business development, as well as English and literacy courses, the women have the opportunity to further their education according to their interests, take important steps towards an even more independent life and perhaps even become self-employed. The association also organizes excursions and events on a wide variety of topics and supports our partner NGOs in emergency situations, such as the major floods in 2019 or the Corona crisis in 2020.
you want to support us?
All donations collected will be 100% donated to our partner organizations Jyothi Seva Kendra, Nava Chetana Kendra and Access Foundation and will be used by them for Further education, training and social benefits, but also in humanitarian emergencies.
We appreciate every small amount and especially if you decide to make a regular donation. These payments enable us to plan our charitable projects in the long term and cover the fixed costs of our work.
But why a company and a non-profit organization and not just a common structure? To answer this question, we need to go a little further, because for a long time we at Jyoti have been asking ourselves how we want to be perceived and, more importantly, how we see ourselves.
It all started with an internship in the small Indian town of Chittapur. Through her work at the Indian NGO Jyothi Seva Kendra, our founder Jeanine gained insight into the often very difficult living situations, especially of women, there. Above all, they lacked professional opportunities and thus a stable source of income. The idea of a small sewing workshop was quickly born - less with the desire to create fashion than with the motivation to create sustainable and long-term job prospects for a growing group of women. What was missing was any sewing knowledge, both on the German and Indian side.
Today, things are very different. The women in Chittapur and also in Londa and Hyderabad - our two new locations - have developed into experienced and professional seamstresses and our team in Germany has also grown to include a number of experts. Producing sustainable and timeless clothing and accessories is no longer just a means to an end, but an absolute core concern of Jyoti - Fair Works. We want to actively contribute to a positive change in the fashion industry and act as role models.
We would like to underline this development through the institutional separation of association and company. While the company Jyoti - Fair Works is committed to fair and sustainable production conditions at the highest quality level along the entire supply chain, Jyoti eV is responsible for the further realization of our original idea - the promotion of women in India.
In this way, the non-profit organization Jyoti eV not only ensures the continuation of the continuing offers for the seamstresses, but also enables us to support our partner NGOs in their work independently of the sewing workshops and to be able to support them, especially in emergency situations.
We and especially our partner NGOs would be delighted if you would like to support the work of the association with a donation and can of course issue you a donation receipt if you wish. Simply contact us at kontakt@jyoti-ev.de !
What is also important for us to say: We are aware that we benefit from a very privileged situation here in Europe, which is largely based on colonialism and the (continuing) exploitation of other states, including India. It is important to us to make it clear that the donations that flow to India through the association are not charity, but an attempt to act globally fairly on a small scale, and that our work is not aid, but a collaboration on equal terms in which we all depend on each other. Jyoti eV is in no way intended to be an institution that maintains global power structures in their current form, and we hope and work to ensure that the need for associations like ours is replaced by global justice on a political and macroeconomic level.
Current projects
A small overview of previous and current projects and fields of activity of Jyoti eV
Have fun and forget everyday life
team outings
At least once a year, the seamstresses from Chittapur and Londa go on a trip with the whole team - to the water park in Hyderabad, a nearby nature reserve or a national park. A great opportunity to escape from everyday life, explore the surroundings, hike beyond the borders of the home town and get a taste of adventure.
Further training opportunities play a central role for us
workshops, English and literacy courses
We see Jyoti as a place of development, as a training center for women who were only able to attend school for a very short time or not at all. In addition to English and literacy courses, we regularly organize workshops on topics such as opening and managing bank accounts, first steps towards self-employment, women and workers' rights. These workshops are not organized exclusively for the seamstresses, but are open to all interested women in our production sites.
We are responsible
Climate damage in Londa
In the summer of 2019, our second production site, the town of Londa, was hit by extreme monsoon rains. Large parts of the village were washed away and numerous houses, including those of some of the seamstresses and our partner NGOs, were destroyed. Many people died or were seriously injured. With your help, Jyoti eV was able to raise 4,400 euros at lightning speed, which could be used directly and immediately. Given the great threat posed by climate change, this may only be a small drop in the ocean, but it is absolutely necessary support for the local people. You can find detailed information in our blog post WE ARE RESPONSABLE.
Covid 19
food donations
The global spread of the Covid-19 virus led to a nationwide lockdown in India in 2020. The impact on large parts of the Indian population was dramatic - more than 90% of Indians work in the informal sector, meaning they have no security in their jobs. Most earn so little that it is barely enough to survive. Overnight, people lost any opportunity to generate an income due to the lockdown. Our partner NGOs acted immediately and focused all available resources on distributing food parcels. Thanks to your donations, Jyoti eV was able to support them with funds for food parcels for more than 500 families.
STILL QUESTIONS?
If you would like to learn more about the activities of Jyoti eV or have any questions about your donation options, please send us a message!