Daily Archives: August 22, 2021

Menachem Forester is a student at the Chabad Yeshiva nestled in the ancient Venice Ghetto, established in 1516. The Ghetto, no longer designed to lock up Jews, is the vibrant center of Jewish life in the ancient Italian city. Every night, Forester makes the twenty-minute walk from the Jewish Ghetto to the pillars in the central town square, Piazza San Marco. Imported from Turkey in the 12th Century, the pillars rise high as a symbol of the political power of a trading center that linked the east and west.

But Forester sits at the pillars of another part of their symbolism. In 1533, it was the site of the mass burning of the Talmud. Venice was an early center of Jewish printing, home of the Bomberg Talmud, whose iconic layout became the standard to this day. Besides copies of the Talmud, other priceless manuscripts and Jewish books were burned on a quest to destroy Jewish knowledge, sparked by the hatred of the Spanish Inquisition.

When Forester arrives at the square, he opens his Talmud and spends an hour in Torah study. This is my way of responding to the tragedy of almost 500 years ago, he says. What better way than to study Torah and our Jewish tradition in the very place which our enemies sought to destroy it.

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Forester represents the remarkable era that we live in as Jews. Beyond the doom and gloom that Jews love to focus on and there are serious challenges we live in a remarkable time. As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks would say: almost all Jews live in free countries where they can openly practice. We have a country where Jews have sovereignty. We are equipped with modern weaponry just over a month ago, while on a rabbinical solidarity mission in the wake of the most recent Gaza conflict, I got a glimpse of Israels newest weapon: the state of the art F-35 combat aircraft. Today Jews can defend themselves against our enemies and are free to study Torah where its books were burned some five centuries ago.

Lying at the core of what drives us as Jews is a sense of personal empowerment, the guts to stand up for ourselves, the guts to learn Torah in the very place that symbolizes its destruction.

Some years ago, I visited the British Museum. I wandered through the exhibits of ancient peoples like the Hittite and Babylonians. I saw the massive stone reliefs of Sennacherib exiling the Ten Tribes, the statues of the Greeks, Romans, Persians and others. Each empire rose and fell, and today their cultures exist in museums and archaeological sites. I stood there as a Jew, not very different from the ancient Jews who challenged these empires with the ideas of monotheism, justice, compassion and the mission to infuse the world with Divine purpose.

These superpowers had might that dominated the world for a few centuries, but each had its sunset. Yet the ideas that stand at the center of Judaism have the staying power because they transcend the limitation of time. Given by God at Sinai, they have meaning and are relevant every time and every place.

The lesson is clear. The ideas of the Torah are the core of our identity. If we care about a Jewish future, we dont need to change Judaism to fit a popular agenda of political-social action, even though Judaism does teach compassion. Nor is the answer to a Jewish tomorrow a secular nationalism devoid of the spiritual bond to the Jewish homeland. What we need is to teach the next generation authentic Torah. We need to instill in them wonder for Jewish knowledge, so they can find modern relevance to the ideas of this era. If they deeply appreciate it, they will pass it on to the next generation.

If youre looking for a place to start studying, drop by the Piazza San Marco at 10:00 PM every night. Menachem would be delighted to have a study partner.

Rabbi David Eliezrie is president of the Rabbinical Council of Orange County California. His email is rabbi@ocjewish.com

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Despite predictions of doom and gloom, Judaism is thriving - The Jerusalem Post

OBERLIN, Ohio and BRUSSELS, Aug. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --In The Joy of Public Speaking: Find Your Voice and Reach Your Peak Potential, Matthew Cossolotto distills many years of high-profile speechwriting and speech coaching experience into a comprehensive, how-to guide to help experienced, novice, and terrified speakers alike. Cossolotto's breakthrough book is packed with powerful mindset shifts, profound insights, and practical tips that can help readers advance their careers, enhance their leadership skills, and make a difference in the world.

"I love this little book," writes Granville Toogood, a leading speech coach and author ofThe Articulate Executive."As a speech coach and executive speechwriter, Matthew is as good as they come."

Matthew Cossolotto is an author, guest speaker, executive speechwriter, and speech coach. His senior-level leadership communications career spans the corridors of power on both sides of the Atlanticfrom NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, to the Speaker's Office in the U.S. House of Representatives. A former aide to Congressman Leon Panetta, Cossolotto has coached and penned speeches for senior executives at a wide range of organizations, including UCLA and Fortune 100 corporations.

Opinion surveys confirm that most people rank public speaking as one of their top fears, along with spiders, snakes, and death itself. Cossolotto's inspiring new book embraces a simple proposition: People who learn to enjoy public speaking tend to be better at it than those hobbled by anxiety, trepidation, or outright terror.

Dedicated to the leaders and staff of NATO, the bookguides readers in recognizing self-defeating attitudes, feelings, and habits and replacing them with empowering mindsets to fast-track success on the podium and beyond. Readers will learn about these powerful concepts to propel them on their journey to joy:

Cossolotto's Personal Empowerment Trilogy: Reach Your Peak PotentialThe Joy of Public Speakingis the first book in Cossolotto's personal empowerment trilogy. Two more books are coming soon. One highlights the seven essential habits of SUCCESS and another promotes the power of promises with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

The Joy of Public Speakingis available on Amazon books.

Contact:Matthew Cossolotto4045979018[emailprotected]

SOURCE Matthew Cossolotto

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Joy and Public Speaking. Together at Last. Turn Stage Fright into Stage Delight with The Joy of Public Speaking, a New Book by Matthew Cossolotto -...

The MED Foundation of Mercer Health recently applied for a $25,000 grant from State Farm to bring COPE into each Mercer County school and was chosen as one of 200 finalists out of more than 2,000 submissions. The final recipients are chosen via online voting from the community and the top 40 receive $25,000 in funding.

Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment (COPE) is an evidence-based cognitive behavioral skills building program offered through Mercer Healths Center for Healthy Weight and Wellness that helps children, teens and young adults develop skills to stop negative thoughts and to think and act in more positive ways. Limited access to mental health care, cost, insurance coverage, transportation and the time commitment related to taking children out of school to see a professional create barriers that can often prevent the youth in our community from receiving support that they need. Receiving the grand funding to bring COPE into local schools would remove many of these barriers for the children who actively need this support while providing preventative coping skills in order to help them become healthy, positive, productive teens and adults.

By bringing COPE into the schools, we remove the access to care barriers so many students face, Jennifer Bills, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and certified COPE provider, said. By proactively teaching kids how to interrupt negative thoughts and focus on healthy coping mechanisms, we can positively impact the overall health and wellbeing of students in our community.

The MED Foundation is seeking the communitys help by voting for this program to receive one of the forty $25,000 Neighborhood Assist grants from State Farm. Starting today, August 18, U.S. residents who are 18 and older with a valid email address can vote for the cause at neighborhoodassist.com.

About State Farm Neighborhood Assist

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions.

About the MED Foundation

The MED Foundation of Mercer Health was established in December of 1988 by a group of community leaders and hospital administration to provide enhancements and educational support for the future of health care services within our community. Our mission is to cultivate philanthropic relationships that enhance Mercer Healths ability to fulfill its mission and vision. The MED Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.

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The MED Foundation of Mercer Health has been selected as a State Farm Neighborhood Assist Top 200 Finalist - Mercer Health

Mon, Aug 16, 2021

MENASourcebyGhadah W. Alharthi

A large banner shows Saudi Vision for 2030 as a soldier stands guard before the arrival of Saudi King Salman at the inauguration of several energy projects in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Zuhair Al-Traifi

With its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia encouraged businesses to participate in its development and to address national challengesespecially in critical sectors, such as health care, education, housing, and cultural and social programsrather than focusing solely on generating profits. Vision 2030 calls for a more effective third sector for non-profits, among other things.

Social entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is an evolving phenomenon. In June, the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector (NCNP), which will regulate the sector. The center is one of the National Transformation Program initiatives in Vision 2030, and its purpose is to empower the non-profit sector to achieve a deeper social and economic impact.

According to academics Sophie Bacq and Frank Janssen, social entrepreneurship is the process of identifying, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities for social value creation through commercial, market-based activities or other resources. Social entrepreneurship has existed in Saudi Arabia for many decades. An early example was a school in Mecca that would cost the equivalent of less than a dollar today. Saudi Arabia currently shows low levels of social entrepreneurial activity compared to other countries, but this may be due to the lack of data on social enterprises in the country. Currently, there is an estimated one not-for-profit social organization per ten thousand people in Saudi Arabia compared to around fifty per ten thousand in Canada and the United States.

According to experts Ive spoken to, the number of social enterprises in the country has increased in the past decade. This increase is partly due to the work of international foundations (e.g. Ashoka and Acumen), local foundations (e.g. King Khalid Foundation), corporations (e.g. Abdul Latif Jameel Group), some higher education institutions (e.g. Effat University and Dar Al-Hekma), charity foundations, such as for housing and womens empowerment, and personal initiatives of Saudi entrepreneurs. The community shares a commitment to achieving positive social impact using innovative and financially sustainable methods.

One of the most prominent examples of social entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is Glowork, a social enterprise that encourages womens participation and integration into the Saudi workforce. It was founded by Khalid Alkhudair, who started the online Glowork platform in 2011. By 2017, it had placed 27,000 women in Saudi Arabias workplaces and found work-from-home employment for over five hundred women living in rural areas.

Social entrepreneurs engage problem-solving skills and local knowledge in search of innovative solutions. Innovation is the building block of entrepreneurship, opening new avenues to create wealth. Social innovation focuses on the addition of social value as part of the mission. For Saudi Arabia to create an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship and unlock social innovation and impact investing, it may wish to address three main issues: government regulation and policy, societal perceptions, and the education system.

Government regulations and financing

The formal institutional environment is essential when it comes to innovation. A challenge Saudi social enterprises face is which type of registration and profit model to adopt. Founders have had to choose between for-profit and non-profit optionsthere is no middle ground. As a result, some social entrepreneurs incorporate without fully understanding the consequences of the regulatory environment associated with their companys registration type. Sometimes social entrepreneurs incorporate with a certain model only to find out about new business models that could better serve their interests. However, this issue should be resolved over time with Junes establishment of the NCNP.

Financing is another difficulty social entrepreneurs face. It is vital for social entrepreneurs to find access to capital market funding, given their social mission. This is not an issue specific to Saudi Arabia; it is a global one for most social entrepreneurs. It is difficult to measure social impact or key performance indicators that apply to all types of social enterprises, especially when the legal structure and regulations have not yet been developed for that countrys sector. In addition, the social impact achieved by a social enterprise may not be directly observable and, as a result, could be hard to measure and prove to potential investors and sponsors.

Therefore, the Saudi government may wish to concentrate on devising specific regulations for social enterprises while also offering fees and tariff exemptions and opportunities to bid on government contracts. The government can also support the establishment of social entrepreneurship incubators and accelerators. Existing incubators and accelerators have contributed much to the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, but not many exist for social entrepreneurship currently.

Saudi societys perception of social entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial activity can be facilitated or hindered by certain socio-cultural practices, values, and norms. Indeed, a social entrepreneurs motivation is partly influenced by societal perception about the desirability of pursuing entrepreneurial ventures.

A society must value creativity and the implementation of new ideas to flourish economically and culturally. Therefore, increasing societysawareness of social entrepreneurship should be one of the most urgent priorities for the newly established NCNP. Currently, Saudi society may not clearly understand the differences between standard work, charity work, social entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. However, improving the perception of social entrepreneurship is more difficult than simply creating an appropriate regulatory environment. Involving the media to feature profiles of domestic heroes as well as giving formal recognition to social entrepreneurs will go a long way to improving societal perceptions about social entrepreneurship.

The twelve Saudi social entrepreneurs I interviewed for my research over the course of four years had expectations built from their education, including examples of successful foreign social entrepreneurship case studies. At the beginning of their endeavor, they also believed that Saudi Arabias normative environment provided favorable conditions for social entrepreneurship. In my research, I found that they later realized the gaps in the environment, yet still managed to adapt to some of the issues they faced in the field.

Despite operating in a non-institutionalized context, the social entrepreneurs I studied were optimistic, confident, resilient, and hopefulall of which are important traits for leaders and visionaries trying to make a change and solve social issues. If these strengths are combined with the right regulations and societal support from the beginning, social entrepreneurs could thrive even more and increase their chances of success. Moreover, if social entrepreneurs start their endeavor with more awareness of the institutional environment, they may be better equipped to deal with the challenges they face.

Social entrepreneurship in the Saudi education system

Education can prepare social entrepreneurs to identify barriers and devise strategies to overcome them. Currently, social entrepreneurship is being integrated into the curriculum of some Saudi universities, with major events and workshops taking place to promote the concept, such as in Dar Al-Hekma University and Effat University. However, Saudi social entrepreneurs still often have turn to educational resources from abroad to learn more about the concept of social entrepreneurship. This reliance on foreign material can be problematic because it does not consider the differences in the local context, like cultural norms and the different ministries evolving regulations.

It is important to foster formal and informal learning about social entrepreneurship by offering modules in Saudi universities and schools, as well as courses and webinars and Arabic material on social entrepreneurship. Educational institutions can host workshops and competitions, provide technical support to social entrepreneurs, and connect social entrepreneurs to a larger audience, including public, private, and international organizations. Educating citizens about social change and social entrepreneurship will help them generate ideas to tackle urgent social issues and provide them with positive role models.

Conclusion

Social entrepreneurship is an evolving phenomenon and by far the most crucial type of entrepreneurship in allowing citizens to play an active role alongside the government in solving environmental and social issues in Saudi Arabia. The government has taken an initial positive step to create a supportive regulatory environment by establishing the NCNP. The next step would be to increase positive societal perceptions about social entrepreneurship, provide educational opportunities to students and would-be entrepreneurs, and highlight case studies and role models operating in the Saudi context. The goals of Saudis Vision 2030 will require innovation on all fronts, and social entrepreneurship can be a leading driver of the countrys advancement once nurtured properly.

Dr. Ghadah W. Alharthi is an associate director and lecturer at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She is also a Middle east specialist and cultural consultant at Barker Langham. Follow her on Twitter: @GhadahWA.

Mon, Aug 2, 2021

Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have wisely made the economy the focal point of their strategies for the future, as evidenced by national policy changes and a reduction in foreign adventures. Ending the Qatar blockade, and opening a dialogue with adversarial neighbors like Iran and Turkey is linked to long-term economic ambitions.

MENASourcebyAmjad Ahmad

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Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims to empower the non-profit sector. Here are three areas to focus on. - Atlantic Council

19-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish sends powerful messages of female empowerment and perseverance in her new album Happier Than Ever.

The album consists of 16 honest and personal tracks that Eilish wrote and produced with her older brother, Finneas. Eilish explores themes of female empowerment and finding personal strength a departure from her previous album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? which features a dark, less hopeful tone touching on heavier themes like mental health and drugs.

I cant even process it. This was the most fulfilling, most satisfying and profound experience Ive ever had with my music, Eilish wrote in an Instagram post marking the release of her sophomore album.

Eilish begins the album with vulnerability, singing in a soft, calm voice about the struggles she has faced in her career and personal life, in the song Getting Older. Starting with a note of gratitude despite her struggles, she slowly opens her heart to her listeners, saying that she crave[s] pity and would lie for attention, only to get rejected in return. In the chorus, her smooth voice gets higher as she reflects on her life as a singer. The song progresses, and she shares that she has grown as a person while cleverly nodding to the title of her album: Im gettin better at admitting when I was wrong / Im happier than ever, at least, thats my endeavor / To keep myself together and prioritize my pleasure.

Getting Older ends with a note of reassurance: Eilish concludes that she will find happiness despite the hardships that accompany spending most of her teenage years in the public eye. I love the honesty, hope and beauty in this song. Although she doesnt sing loudly against a dynamic, electronic beat like in other parts of her discography, Getting Older holds even more power with its soft, stripped-down instrumentals.

The albums ensuing tracks explore the end of a relationship and the start of a new one. Then comes track four, My Future, which was originally released as a single exactly one year before the albums release; this song chronicles Eilish leaving a relationship and finding herself. She sings of her newfound independence and hope: Im in love / With my future / Cant wait to meet her Im in love / But not with anybody else / Just wanna get to know myself.

I adore the inspiring and refreshing nature of the lyrics in My Future. Eilish sings in what almost sounds like a lullaby, her voice layered soothingly in the background. Then, the beat changes to a faster rhythm, and drums join the accompaniment, signifying a sense of empowerment in a song sure to resonate with fans.

Eilish continues to explore the theme of female empowerment in the ninth track of her album, Not My Responsibility. But the songs style sharply diverges from the albums other tracks. Rather than singing over an electronic sound or soft beat in the background, she speaks over a static synth tone. Speaking rather than singing helps her emphasize her message and distinguish Not My Responsibility from the rest of her tracks. Denouncing how she is often judged by her physical appearance, she stresses that women should not be reduced to their bodies and clothing.

In the music video for the track, Eilish also departs from her omnipresent baggy clothing (which she wears to avoid sexualization of her body), and takes off her outer garments in a powerful statement. In reference to body-shaming she has faced for wearing oversized clothing, she sings, Some people hate what I wear / Some people praise it / Some people use it to shame others / Some people use it to shame me / But I feel you watching / Always / And nothing I do goes unseen.

Later, she speaks softly yet captivatingly as she poses rhetorical questions about her body to the audience: Do my shoulders provoke you? Does my chest? / Am I my stomach? My hips? / The body I was born with / Is it not what you wanted? As a young woman, I feel intimately impacted by Eilishs message in Not My Responsibility. She leverages her musical talent to speak truth: women should never be judged by their physical appearance.

Eilish sends another powerful message in Your Power, which was released as a single in April. In the song, she reflects on an abusive relationship, singing, I thought that I was special / You made me feel / Like it was my fault, you were the devil. She sings hauntingly and beautifully with the sound of soft strumming in the background. Throughout this track, she tells her ex-boyfriend, Try not to abuse your power. On Spotify, under the Storyline, Eilish wrote, I hope that all young women who have been taken advantage of feel heard. I am awed by her ability to share her story so intimately she once again sends a powerful message in reflecting on her personal experiences.

Happier than Ever is my favorite Billie Eilish album yet. Though each song is unique, she incorporates themes of female empowerment throughout. I would strongly recommend this album not only because of Eilishs beautiful vocals and heartfelt songwriting, but, perhaps most importantly, because of her sheer vulnerability.

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Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever' is both powerful and vulnerable - The Stanford Daily

Bakhtiyor Isoev released two new episodes of his Education & Empowerment Podcast - Powered by Mission Matters

Bakhtiyor Isoev released two new episodes of his Education & Empowerment Podcast - Powered by Mission Matters

Beverly Hills, California, Aug. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Higher education expert Bakhtiyor Isoev released two new episodes of the Education & Empowerment Podcast. The episodes feature interviews with Andrea Kemp-Ford, Chief Operating Officer for The University of the Potomac in Washington, D.C., and Anna Esaki Smith, a Global education expert who advises higher education institutions, private companies and education organizations on international strategies and thought leadership. In the just-released episodes, Kemp-Ford and Smith discuss the post-pandemic future of higher education and how universities can adapt their academic and operational strategies to support students' long-term success in and out of the classroom.

Customer Service is Key to Student Success During Challenging Times

"We are obligated to help one another", says Andrea Kemp-Ford, the Chief Operating Officer for The University of the Potomac based in Washington, D.C. Ford believes that customer service is one of the factors that contributes to the university's 96% retention rate, along with dedicated faculty and relevant degree programs. When the Global pandemic hit in 2020, the University of the Potomac was well-suited to support students throughout an unprecedented time because of its already-robust online and hybrid course offerings.

But it was still a challenging year for faculty and students alike. The university worked to meet that challenge by paying attention to individual students. "If a student reaches out and says, I don't have food, we're going to give them food," Ford says. This kind of personal touch extends to all aspects of the university's operations--from course design to technology use to degree offerings to student housing. For example, the university continues to offer online and hybrid course options to accommodate students who still don't feel comfortable attending in person. And perhaps most important, Ford says, the company is actively working to keep online instruction engaging and innovative.

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"The industry has changed," Ford says. The higher education industry must adapt in order to support students. Ford recommends preparing faculty to deliver courses online in order to ensure that students get the same experience they would get in person, supporting students and staff who may be struggling with mental health, and partnering with third-party companies when possible to help grow the institution. She emphasizes choosing relevant degree programs to address gaps in our country's infrastructure made plain by the pandemic, such as early childhood education and medical assistance.

The bottom line, though, is human connection. "I have two sons," Ford says. "If they ran into difficulty while they were at school, I would want someone at that university to help them if they could."

Listen to the full interview of Andrea Kemp-Ford with Bakhtiyor Isoev on 4stay.

Weathering a Pandemic: The Future of Higher Education

"With challenges come opportunities," says Anna Esaki Smith, a Global education expert. Because of her vast experience advising higher education institutions and organizations, Smith understands the challenges both students and institutions face during what she calls "enormous disruption."

However, Smith believes that both domestic and international students can capitalize on an opportunity to ensure their own success by articulating what they want out of an education. On the institutional side, colleges and universities have a chance to hone their messaging and outreach strategies, develop online programming, and manage funds more efficiently.

Smith calls the question of how to define students success a "deeply profound one"--indeed, it's a question that individual students may answer differently. The first step is supporting students as they "articulate" what it is they want in a college experience. Smith then helps institutions tailor their messages more specifically to students based on what students want. For example, in an increasingly competitive market, universities must think about recruitment of international students more strategically.

Though students are more empowered than ever, Smith acknowledges the toll the pandemic has taken on young people's mental health. The stressful life of a university student becomes even more stressful when students are worried about the physical and/or financial health of their communities. One way institutions can help combat anxiety and depression is by bolstering online course offerings. Along with regaining sources of revenue and finding ways to manage funds more effectively, investing in online learning is the most important thing to consider when planning for an uncertain future, Smith says. "Universities who do will thrive."

Listen to the full interview of Anna Esaki Smith with Bakhtiyor Isoev on 4stay.

About: The Education & Empowerment Podcast explores success and advancement through education by interviewing today's top leaders in the fields of education, business and technology. This show is brought to you by 4stay, a SaaS-enabled Online Booking marketplace for student and intern housing. Learn more at: https://4stay.com/

Want to partner with 4stay? Explore our Turnkey All-in-One Solutions at offcampus.4stay.com or landlords.4stay.com.

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More episodes may be found here:https://podcast.4stay.com/

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Moving Forward After a Pandemic Year: Student Success Experts Discuss the Future of Higher Education - Yahoo Finance

Shaheena Akhtar, 34, an award-winning Kani shawl entrepreneur based in Srinagars Old City, not only weaves trends into tradition but also helps weavers in distress, most of them women.

Of the six siblings born in a modest family, Shaheena is the only one with a college degree in arts, but she had to drop out due to the familys economic condition in 2004.

I started learning shawl weaving from my elder brother, while our father, Ghulam Ahmad Rather, used to tin-coat (kalai) copper utensils, she recalls. Four of her siblings, including two brothers, became shawl weavers but her penchant for innovation began getting her business and recognition.

In 2014, she received the Jammu and Kashmirs exemplary entrepreneur award for her Kani shawls. In 2017, she was felicitated by Hindustan Times at its sixth edition of 30 young achievers from the region.

Opportunity in adversity

All was well until her marriage in 2017 to an abusive husband, who forced her to quit weaving. After 15 difficult months, she got divorced but was not welcomed back by her brothers. She started from a scratch again, this time with some personal savings. I wouldnt have been here in the first place had my brothers not supported me. But then things change. After the divorce, I became a stranger in my own house, she says.

I decided not to give up. I had started from zero and was back to zero. I took it as a challenge and with the help of neighbours have succeeded again, she says.

Shaheena started living with her mother in a part of their ancestral house and travelled to Amritsar in 2019 to participate in a handicraft exhibition. She took a loan to put her business back on track and today its flourishing despite the Covid-19 restrictions.

Know your customer

Weaving the Kani shawl is a traditional and intricate art, but artisans rarely get the returns for middlemen pocket the gains.

After registering with the J&K handicrafts department in 2008, she went for an exhibition the next year that was the turning point. Few educated women join the shawl sector. That exposure gave me the confidence and insight into the demand, she says. People abroad prefer tone to tone shawls instead of colourful ones. Once I even saw my shawl displayed in a showroom in Italy! she says.

Shaheena recalls how one of her uncles was on the brink of bankruptcy. He had woven shawls on traditional patterns but there were no takers. He didnt know the trend. Weavers hardly do, but with a little help, he started getting good returns, she says.

She credits her knowledge about customer preferences to her travels to handicraft exhibitions in different cities, including Delhi, Jaipur and Amritsar. Now, there are several export offers, too, she says.

Help others to help yourself

Shaheena is invited by the handicrafts department to give motivational speeches to women artisans. Ive given over 100 motivational speeches at awareness camps. More women are joining the handicrafts business. They realise that a woman is not insecure when she leaves home to do something in life, she says.

Girls can take on any challenge. I work more than my brothers, she says.

At present, she provides employment to about 1,000 people, including Pashmina spinners, weavers, dye givers and washermen and women.

Every year, she produces about 100 shawls, including plain Pashmina, Kani and Sozni. I keep innovating. Ive started a readymade garment business of pherans and stoles in addition to the shawls, she adds.

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Emblems of empowerment: Innovation with tradition, weaving a success story - Hindustan Times