MSU takes fashion to under-privileged kids

Vadodara: There is no end to selling techniques used by salesmen, but for 13-year-old Faizal Pathan and his friends, their innocent smiles work the best.
Standing behind a counter full of home accessories along with mobile and tablet covers, the teenager is beaming with confidence after successfully selling almost 20% of his products within an hour.
The boys are part of a 150-member strong group of beneficiaries from 12 self-help groups and NGOs who were trained in making various products by the students of institute of fashion technology at MSU's Faculty of Family and Community Sciences.
These groups exhibited their products in an exhibition - Hastkari - on Tuesday. The three-month training programme that ends with the exhibition is an attempt to train the less privileged in the complete entrepreneurial process.
"Through the programme we are trying to reach out to communities and teach them the skills that can add value to their creativity. We design the programme unlike a vocational training system and make it more of an interactive session. The participation have grown over the past years and we are giving back to the society in bigger forms," said professor Amita Pandya from the department of clothing and textiles, adding that the profit from the entire process goes back to the beneficiaries of these organizations.