From Permission Delays to 80 Attendees: A Workshop That Almost Didn’t Happen

On January 24th, 2026, we held the third workshop for Workers of India. Looking back, it almost didn’t happen the way I had imagined.

The first challenge was something I had not anticipated. Getting permission to conduct the workshop turned out to be more difficult than expected. The event was being held in a part of Mumbai where I do not live, and convincing the local housing society to allow the workshop took time and several conversations. There were moments when I wasn’t sure if we would actually be able to go ahead with it.

Eventually, the permission came through, and the workshop was back on track.

The next concern was attendance. Because of the delays with the venue approval, I could only begin promoting the workshop during the last week before the event. That did not leave much time to spread the word, and I prepared myself for the possibility that only a small number of people might show up.

But the day turned out very differently from what I had expected.

Through word of mouth, domestic helpers in the area began hearing about the workshop. One person told another, and slowly people started arriving. By the time we got going, the room was filled with domestic workers who had come to learn about their rights and understand how they could access support and protections available to them.

In total, more than 80 people attended the workshop.

We were able to register most of the workers who came that day, but what stayed with me the most was the energy in the room. People were curious. They asked questions, shared their concerns, and wanted to understand what steps they could take to improve their situation.

Seeing that level of engagement reminded me why this work matters.

At the end of the day, the most meaningful part is not just organizing a workshop or meeting a target number of registrations. It is seeing people become excited about their rights and realizing that they have the ability to take steps that can help protect themselves and their families.

Moments like that make every challenge along the way worth it.