Badass Folx in Biz - Divineya Society
Back in early 2021 I remember sitting in my room - with my super fresh babe sleeping peacefully next me - when I got a message from an online biz acquaintance hoping to introduce me to a client of hers. (MASSIVE shoutout to Nancy Jackson from NancyJDesign!) Little did I know, I would soon be writing copy for two of the most inspiring humans I’ve ever met. They’re not technically in biz, but they’re most certainly BADASS!
A Mother & Daughter Dream Team
Wendy Davis and Taya Wall are the incredible mom & daughter team behind Divineya Society - a nonprofit organization striving to empower women and girls in rural India through education, employment, and equal opportunity.
What an absolute joy and honor it was to learn and write about Wendy & Taya’s mission.
You might say their journey into starting and running a successful nonprofit began decades ago, when they first took a family trip to India. Since then, they’ve committed their time and energy to nonprofit aid work, and after years of experiences, lessons, challenges and discoveries, they’re making big moves and changing lives.
I can’t rave about the work they’re doing enough!
When I feel discouraged by the news or the state of the planet, I remember there are people like Wendy and Taya, and the amazing women of Sakhi Kunj, who are tirelessly working to make the world a better place - every single day.
I invite you to read the following interview with Wendy & Taya to learn more about all the inspiring work they’re doing. And, of course, please show your support for Divineya Society by visiting their online shop or making a donation.
Now, over to Taya and Wendy!
Wendy Davis and her daughter, Taya Wall, founders of Divineya Society.
It’s been just over a year since Divineya Society launched - how have things been going?! CONGRATULATIONS!
Thank you so much!! Things have been going quite well. With Wendy returning home from a visit to India this spring we’ve had quite a lot of momentum - it’s been exciting!
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced since starting a nonprofit? And what has been the most rewarding?
One of our biggest challenges has definitely been to secure enough funding to continue our work. We’e in the process of securing grants and large-scale funding, but in the meantime it’s been a challenge. Because we operate around a social enterprise model with the products we import, our main financial support comes from selling these products, which is a lot of work! We want to be able to hire as many women as possible, and we want to be able to provide them with steady income. But unfortunately our product sales are often sporadic, as we lack a physical storefront. This means that we’ve had to work hard to move our products and continue regular orders from our women.
Stunning handcrafted bags created by the women of Sakhi Kunj. Available now in the Divineya Society shop.
However, on the positive side we’ve found our growth over the last year to be incredibly rewarding! To see how far we’ve come in just a year feels amazing, going from making and selling just mala necklaces and yoga bags last year to today where we have a wide array of products and feature our own creation (Sakhi Pants) feels great!
But ultimately the most rewarding for us personally is the enthusiasm from our women in India, and the support and love from our community here in Canada and internationally. We have experienced so much love, growth, connection and support from so many different sources, both close to home and abroad. This honestly means the world to us, and we are so grateful for everyone who has been here, and those who are just joining!
Women of Sakhi Kunj sewing and creating.
Meera Arya, founder of Sakhi Kunj, is in yellow.
Wendy - you recently returned from India. How are things going there with Meera and the women of Sakhi Kunj? What are the most impactful initiatives you’re currently working on?
Meera is a sister! She is so accommodating for us and willing to be flexible. She opens her home to us whenever we visit India, and has an ability to work with and understand the cultural differences we experience as westerners. Meera just gets us, can communicate extremely well, and we have a good partnership because she has same values we do, enthusiasm for the work we do, and an inspirational vision for her community.
(Left) Wendy Davis, co-founder of Divineya Society, sits with Meer Arya, founder of Sakhi Kunj.
One of the most significant things I (Wendy) noticed this time in India post Covid, was a change in the women. 2 years of Covid very rough on them and their families. When we asked them about trainings or other educational programs they might be interested in, they shared with us that the only thing they are focused on now is securing employment. The economic situation is scary for them, and they need dependable income. We have taken several actions to prioritise this, and have even ordered and bought more products from them than we can sell, simply to give them enough work to support themselves and their families. However, one positive is that they now have more status within their family units because they are emerging as the sole breadwinners (due to their husbands and male family members struggling to find work). They have more authority and are looked upon differently, which is a huge step for us and one of our major goals with Sakhi Kunj.
Shop Divineya Society’s handcrafted bags, created by the women of Sakhi Kunj. Every purchase directly supports the livelihoods of women and girls in India.
The new products you’ve added to the web shop are so beautiful - I want one of everything! How do you go about choosing the products you’ll make with the women? Are there any specific pieces they enjoy working on the most?
A majority of the globally imported items from India are low quality and cheaply made in sweatshops. To counter this we have set ourselves certain standards, such as ensuring we engage in direct fair trade, and buying all the products our women make (i.e. even if they are unsellable in Canada for quality control reasons or they aren’t quite well made enough due to some of our women still practising their skills, we still pay the women for their work to ensure that they can support themselves and can rely on us). We also strive for sustainability, so all of our products are made with high quality materials, and we often use upcycled fabrics to avoid problems with fast fashion.
We often rely on our partner Meera’s input in determining which products we should make. She knows best what our women can make and has a strong understanding of their skill sets and capabilities. But we also listen to feedback from our community - noticing which kinds of products are popular, and following up on special requests.
Meera has quite the eye for matching fabrics and creating patterns. She often picks out the styles for our creations and guides our women in understanding colour matching.
Traditional Indian mala beads available now in the Divineya Society shop!
Some of our women are highly skilled seamstresses, and they take on the more challenging creations, such as our backpacks. Other women have received training in mala making, so they focus on our malas and bracelets. However, making these products does require a certain level of skill. So something else we focus on when determining what products to feature is what our women can make, the things they like to make, and the resources they have at their disposal to create the various designs. Right now we feature bags, malas and pants, as these are the skills our current members have. But we are working to develop other product lines that build on other kinds of traditional skills, such as larger textiles, or cosmetic supplies.
We have just recently introduced our newest product - Sakhi Pants! We’ve developed a unique design for these pants to specifically make them our own, going back and forth between us here in Canada and our seamstresses in India to create two different pant styles. One is a pyjama style that represents a more traditionally Indian design, and the other is a capri style that appeals to a more Western fashion sense. We’re super excited about these as they embody our values of cultural exchange, they build on skills and knowledge our women already possess, they are beautifully matched with gorgeous Indian fabrics by Meera, and they look fabulous!!
Women of Sakhi Kunj.
What’s your vision for Divineya Society? How do you hope to create more impact over the next 6months, year, 5 years?
Our goal for Divineya Society has always been to support those who lack access to the resources that we have. Living in a western country, we have access to more funding and resources than our partners on the ground in India. Our goal has always been to act as a support for small grassroots start-ups and local initiatives, providing the various connections, knowledge and finances they are lacking.
Women of Sakhi Kunj sewing and crafting together.
In the next year we will continue to support Sakhi Kunj and Meera while we secure our own funding here in Canada. But eventually, in the next 5 years, we aim to support other groups as well and add them to our sisterhood. We already have connected with so many incredible people doing impressive work in India, and we hope to use our framework to assist these grassroots organisations to achieve their dreams and goals.
We want to support as many grassroots initiatives as possible while staying true to our values of community and connection - the causes we support are near and dear to our hearts, with people we consider dear friends and family. We believe strongly in the power of locality - meaning that change is more effective when it comes through the strength and reliability of close social bonds and relationships to those who share our values and vision.
Wendy (left) and Taya (right), founders of Divineya Society.
Starting and running a nonprofit organization as a mother-daughter team is so inspiring! How has this journey been for you both? What have you learned about yourselves and each other?
Well, the journey has certainly had its ups and downs! It can be a challenge sometimes working so closely together, as we have to navigate our relationship differently depending on if we need to put on the business partner hat or the family hat. But ultimately this experience has only deepened our relationship.
Wendy
Learning from one another, with such similar personality traits, we often mirror the other and it can be helpful to spend so much time with someone that just gets you. There’s been so many times where we haven’t had to even say anything or get into a debate about something because we are so often on the same page. And if conflicts do arise, we’re able to work through it together. We’ve been working for so long together (over 10 years engaging in non-profit aid work!) it just comes as a second nature.
Taya
What advice would you give to other families who are curious about traveling to India with young children?
Do it! Because of how young children are so adaptable, like little sponges, they learn and grow from just being there. Learning through physical experience leads to a more direct and embodied self-discovering journey. Travelling in such a foreign country with young western kids teaches them about their position in the world and about their privilege. While witnessing the struggles and impoverished communities there can be intense, it also shows kids how much power and tools they have to create change. It educates them on the realities of what other people in the world face, but it also empowers them to realise how much they have access to make a change!
For Taya, travelling to India at such a young age set her on a path that she is following today. Going to India forced her to face many realities of poverty and inequality, but it also empowered her because it gave her awareness for how much of a difference she could make by using the privileges of living in a western country.
Meera Arya (third from left) with some of the local girls from her community.
There are many people who want to make an impact on the world, but may feel overwhelmed/unsure of where to start. What advice or thoughts would you share with them? Could you share 5 small ways others can make a difference?
It can absolutely be overwhelming when we’re faced with huge global problems, and it's difficult to know where to start. But our biggest piece of advice, something we learned early on, is to start small. Know the person, people or organisation you are helping. Donate to local causes, and find things that are near and dear to your heart. Or, support someone close to you who is passionate about the work they do.
Know that every action, no matter how small, can make a difference. You don’t have to change the world, or change an entire society to put good out into the world. Helping one person can change that one person’s life. And if that is all that you do, you have still done more than most.
Locality is crucial! Find people you connect with who are doing work you care about. Or find people you care about who are passionate about a cause and support them! We do what we do because we have built tight-knit relationships with our friends, family and community members, and we support and uplift their ideas, causes and passions. The easiest and best way to get involved in a cause is to connect with people who share your passion and help each other! No one is fighting for change alone, and we can all benefit by supporting each other and bringing our ideas and values together :)
Know yourself (what skills/resources do you have?). It is so important to be aware of what you can offer, and what you have access to. Getting involved in aid and development work requires that you are in tune with yourself and know why you are doing what you are doing. When you are working to help others, you have to begin with helping yourself.
Pursue your passion! Find causes that you deeply care about and have a connection to. Putting your heart into your work means so much. When you are engaging in aid work, social justice and development, finding something that means a lot to you centres the cause around empathy, something that is crucial for this kind of work.
The overwhelm is real. It can be exhausting trying to keep up with every issue and problem facing our world. So be kind to yourself! We all cannot do everything or be a part of every cause. Focus on one small step or action at a time, and know that no matter what you are doing, you are making a difference.
Women of Sakhi Kunj.
Who do you admire most or look up to? Who inspires you to keep going during the tough days?
We can point to many strong women we look up to and seek to embody and model! I find inspiration in the passion, dedication, creativity and love from so many unique and impressive figures.
Meera Arya, founder of Sakhi Kunj - Divineya Society’s sister organization in India.
However, one woman we admire daily is our partner Meera. Mom and I are always talking about how much she inspires us, and how grateful we are for her. As a mother of two young children (and being expected to handle all childcare, meal prep and household management) with a full-time job, she works tirelessly and passionately not only for Sakhi Kunj and Divineya Society, but also her family and her work in educating her community about sustainable waste practices. She is powerful, creative, ingenious and ambitious. She truly embodies everything I look up to in badass women, and without her we wouldn’t be able to run Divineya! She seems to read our minds, and whenever we have ideas for programs or projects, she has already built the whole concept for us while we discuss! Her ideas and genuine love for what she does and what she believes in is incredibly empowering, and we often look to her for guidance.
And lastly, we inspire each other! Neither of us would be doing Divineya if it weren’t for the other. We rely on each other, and every time to have a meeting we get each other all fired up all over again over each new idea and issue.
Taya and Wendy, a.k.a. the badass mama-daughter team behind Divineya Society!
Thanks for reading, friend!
Take a moment to explore the links below. If you’re interested, dig deeper into Wendy and Taya’s content on the Divineya Society website. They are doing AMAZING THINGS! If you can, please donate generously, or scoop up a few goodies from their shop - treat yourself or a loved one with some gorgeous handcrafted jewelry, clothing, or accessories!
And if you can’t donate or shop just now, please help spread the word about the inspiring work they’re doing alongside their sister organization, Sakhi Kunj. Thank you!