Mayar Khela. It is a cultural and entrepreneurial venture of Maya Foundation – The courses available are drawing, singing and beautician courses. The women who complete the beautician course are given certificates from NYK Kolkata (North) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. This provides a livelihood option for the socio economic development of women. A slow and steady progress has been made in this area to ensure entrepreneurial spirit among the women in the rural as well as urban sector. The special focus is to give the right support to make these women more confident and self sufficient. Special skill training is given in the area of beautician course, IT related work in the urban area and in the rural area focus is given to farming and agricultural skills to promote woman empowerment. In the rural area seeds and livestock are distributed with key focus on how to earn revenue from it. This program has been well received by all and there have been successful stories with sustained interest of most. It has given a way forward and direction to many.

46 women from the Schedule tribe – specific rural biotechnology programme in Sagardighi block of Murshidabad district were empowered by Maya Foundation. Initially with agricultural background they were initiated, trained and given goats, seeds, fertilizers to start farming with focus on earning revenues in the near future. This project is supported by Bose Institute. It sure has raised interest among the local women. Since a long time they have done their daily chores without realizing that it could be used to earn revenue someday. So far they have been cultivating regular crops but new markets have evolved and vegetables like Broccoli and others are in demand. It was Maya Foundation who came forward to stand by them and show them the right way to do so and cater to the new market for improved profit. It helped to increase their self esteem to a great extent. Never had they realized that what they have been doing can actually empower them economically. They saved on seeds, sold livestock and today are able to afford better nutrition and education for their children and the family in general. The revenue earned has improved their lifestyle in general.