Soroptimist Poona visit to Eco Taaka to gift two sewing machines to the NGO. The meeting was attended by President Rashida Ansari, Kulsum Lukhmanji, Kinna Patel, Aditi De, Ranjan Taskar, Manisha Jamadar and Nanda Deshmukh.
SI Poona gave 2 machines – one was donated by Kulsum Lukhmanji (Ex-President), which is a hand-held machine. Another machine was donated by Ms. Geeta Venketeshwaran, which is a German-made PFAFF, also given by Kulsum Lukhmanji along with some silk material that is often used in their projects.
Eco Taaka is a women-led and women-run initiative aimed at promoting and maintaining sustainability. It has two aims:
1) To teach women stitching and make them economically independent and self-sustainable.
2) To reuse and recycle old fabric by giving it a new lease of life.
During the visit, Shabnam Poonawala gave an insightful overview of how the NGO operates. No single piece of cloth goes to waste — even scraps are reused to make buttons. Eco Taaka produces several handmade articles, which are displayed at exhibitions organized periodically. The proceeds from sales are used to support the education of girls.
Shabnam Poonawala warmly engaged with the SI Poona members, patiently addressing their questions and guiding them through the workspace.
The visit concluded with a pleasant serving of coffee and biscuits, and members purchased a few handcrafted items as memorable tokens.
Dated: Monday, 17 November 2025
