From 27 sewing machines to steady factory jobs: Aarey's Warli women are earning with PF and medical cover
Adivasi women from Mumbai's Aarey forest, whose hamlets shrank after the Metro car-shed project, now draw regular salaries at an Andheri factory.
- Work began with 27 sewing machines
- 47 bio-toilets and 12 flour mills set up
- Overtime pays double a day's wage
The background
Warli Adivasi families have lived in Aarey, Mumbai's big green patch, since the 1950s. Locals say about 70 families lost homes to the Metro project, and the number of hamlets fell from 27 to 15. Cassandra Nazareth and her team, working in the area since 2016, began with tote bags and Warli art, then gave the women 27 sewing machines. After the lockdown, garment factories came looking for them.
What changed
Women now travel by bus to a factory in Andheri's MIDC, working 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, with provident fund and ESIC medical cards. Overtime pays double. One worker takes home about ₹15,000 a month after deductions, and says it is the first PF of her life. The team has also built 47 bio-toilets and set up 12 flour mills in the hamlets.
