By Wasudev Mishra (YES 14-15, India, hosted with PAX in Missouri)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call of action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. For the SDGs to be achieved in all countries, people everywhere from all sectors of society must play an active role.

The Global Day to #Act4SDGs is a moment to celebrate actions being taken everywhere to move us closer to the SDG targets for a better world. My exchange experience with YES helped me understand the importance of community service and its sustainability. Something that my exchange program taught me is that community service involvement is important because volunteering teaches people of all ages and backgrounds compassion and understanding.

Silaigram is a platform which sells handmade cloth bags made by low-income women in rural area. It provides a means of self-sustaining income and empowerment for these women. Sewing is a skill almost every woman in rural areas has pursued for a long time, and Silaigram provides an opportunity for women to use their skill to earn an income and it also helps the environment.

Nowadays it has become essential to replace plastic bags with cloth bags to save the environment, since cloth bags are reusable and biodegradable. Unlike the free bagging alternatives, cloth bags usually come with a nominal price tag, but the advantages of reusing cloth bags outweigh this small cost. Reusable cloth bags can also offer the opportunity to make a style statement about green living through advertisement of green retailers or organizations. Cloth bags are also more durable than paper bags, which lose integrity if they become wet. Cloth bags are woven from thread made from plants and since cloth is a plant product, cloth bags are ultimately biodegradable, although most consumers choose to reuse the bags.

Empowerment of women is a necessity for the very development of the society since it enhances both the quality and quantity of human resources available for development. Through Silaigram, we help women use their skills, become self-sufficient, independent and develop a future for themselves and their children.

Visit the Silaigram web site to learn more and follow Silaigram on Facebook and Twitter