At Atmosphere Foundation, we believe that skills training should lead to opportunities that continue long after a workshop has ended. Our Soft Toy Making Project in H.Dh. Vaikaradhoo reflects this approach, supporting local women as they turn a creative skill into a potential source of income.
The project began with practical training in handmade soft toy production. Participants learned how to prepare patterns, cut fabric, stitch individual pieces and complete each toy to a consistent standard. Together with a similar programme in Sh. Goidhoo, the initiative trained 29 women while also encouraging the creative reuse of materials.
From the beginning, our aim was not simply to provide training. Learning a skill is only the first step. For it to create meaningful economic value, participants must also have the opportunity to produce goods and reach potential customers.
We therefore continued working with the women and the Vaikaradhoo Council to explore a sustainable system for production and sales. This included considering how the handmade toys could be introduced to resorts and other buyers, helping create a market beyond the island.
For us, this development represents the impact we hope to achieve through livelihood projects. The women are applying their abilities, participating in production and helping shape an enterprise rooted within their own community.
The project also creates an opportunity for women to earn while remaining in their home island. By strengthening local skills and improving access to markets, we hope to support greater financial independence while contributing to the development of a locally owned livelihood.
Each toy emerging from Vaikaradhoo carries the individual work of the woman who made it. Collectively, they represent the progress of an idea that began in a training room and is now moving towards a sustainable community enterprise.
At Atmosphere Foundation, we are proud to support that journey and to continue working alongside the women of Vaikaradhoo as they take it forward.
For more details about the project, please see the link.