Feeling grateful…
Yesterday I received a letter of appreciation from my housing society after conducting the E Shram Awareness Workshop, and it honestly meant a lot to me. What began as a simple effort to guide our community staff turned into a deeply meaningful experience.
Around 120 to 150 house helps, drivers, cooks and support workers attended the session. They listened with interest, asked questions and showed a real desire to understand the benefits of the E Shram card and the government schemes available to them. Their enthusiasm reminded me why I started Workers of India in the first place. I have always believed that the people who support our daily lives deserve access to information that protects their rights and strengthens their future.
I am grateful to the Managing Committee for their kind words and to all the residents who encouraged their staff to participate. Most of all, I am thankful to every worker who took the time to attend. This appreciation belongs to them as much as it does to me.
I feel encouraged to keep going and to continue doing my bit for the people who keep our communities running with so much dedication.
Thank you, everyone. 🙏
The second workshop
I am delighted to announce that Workers of India hosted it’s second ever workshop yesterday, on November 22nd. We were able to gather 65+ domestic workers across Oberoi Esquire housing society, and through both our distributed booklet and interactive presentation they were informed on what the e-Shram card is alongside its benefits. Additionally, post the presentation we were able to successfully register near 100% of the attendees.
This event was months in the making following our previous and equally successful first workshop. It took wide arrays of efforts from several parties from re-printing our booklets, logistically coordinating with the Oberoi Esquire team for finding a venue, to even the mics, projectors, and food at the event itself. But in the end it was all worth it, as we were successfully able to help those who help us.
I could not be more excited for the future of this project, so far we have helped over 150 workers, and by this time next year we hope to 10x that number!
Gearing up for tomorrow’s workshop!
Tomorrow is my registration drive for the second workshop and I am feeling both excited and nervous at the same time. The first workshop gave me confidence but there is still a sense of uncertainty as I get ready for the next step.
Today I went around distributing fliers in my community. For the most part the excitement felt great and talking to people reminded me why this work matters. At the same time I also felt a bit of apprehension which I hope will clear tomorrow once the registration begins.
I am looking forward to seeing how the day goes and hoping the efforts from today help bring more people in.
Registration Drives
This drive was organized for people that had attended the first workshop and wanted to get themselves registered for the e-Shram card. They happened over the course of 2 days so that I could provide some flexibility to the people who wanted to register. A lot of people showed up on the first day of the drive. Unfortunately the e-Shram portal servers were not operational and I had to ask them to come back the next day. Thankfully, the site was back up and running the next day and I was able to help a lot of people get registered. Once again, the stark difference and inequality in education, living standards continues to ignite my cause to help the people who help us.
The first workshop!
After months of research, planning and coordination, I had my very first flagship workshop for Workers of India to raise awareness about the e-Shram card. It also marked a day I gave my first presentation in Hindi - a language I understand but I have never spoken in formally with anyone. I had put out ads, distributed flyers. I wasn’t sure how many people would show up if any at all. As the time for the workshop was approaching, the people started coming in. And suddenly it was a full house. I gave them a booklet that I worked on all summer that talked about different things such as e-Shram benefits, semi formalization of the informal sector, financial literacy, etc.
People listened to me intently and at the end of the workshop I had promised that I would help some of them register for the e-Shram card. Again, I was anticipating only a few people would stay back for the registration. However, most of them stayed back and the news spread and suddenly I had around a 100 people in the room. I helped around 30-40 of them register. I collected phone numbers for the rest of them and I plan on having a follow up registration session soon so that I can complete their registration as well.
The feeling that I could spread awareness and help people who help us was an undeniably good one. This is just the beginning.
The first step…
If you have the power to speak up, use it to help those who cannot. It is not just a kind thing to do, it is something we should do.
If you have the power to speak up, use it to help those who cannot. It is not just a kind thing to do, it is something we should do.
There is a huge gap between how many of us live and how millions of workers in India’s unorganized sector struggle every day. These workers keep the country running, but they are often ignored when it comes to laws, safety, or support.
Over 90 percent of India’s workforce does not have stable jobs. Many live in constant worry, stuck in debt, with no safety net. That is just not right. Learning about their rights and understanding money can help, but knowledge alone will not fix everything.
That is why Workers of India was created. It is a platform that brings attention to these workers’ stories and stands up for their rights. The goal is simple: get them the respect, security, and legal recognition they deserve.
If you have a voice, use it. Talk about this. Share it. Help others learn. Real change needs more than just feeling bad. It needs action.
This website is just the first step. The real work starts now.