BAIF Development Research Foundation, has established Yashaswini a center for training socio economically disadvantaged women at Urali Kanchan in the year 2007, with an aim to train and equip the socio economically disadvantaged women to live a self sufficient and meaningful life. This initiative is part of the project Strengthening Development Programmes and Laying new Directions, supported by R. D. Tata Trust.

The center offers a residential course that provides basic life skills, practical oriented livelihood skills in 5 areas i) Animal rearing II) land based livelihood opportunities III) food and fruit processing iv) tailoring and handicrafts v) SHG management and also imparted entrepreneurship skills. The criteria for selection of livelihood options is that a rural women who is semi literate or low level of education and with no or small land holding, should be able to start the occupation and does not have to migrate or very small landholding should be able to earn livelihood at her own village. These skills are imparted through a eight month long residential course every year. BAIF also provides post training support in the form of guidance for job placement and technical guidance, bank and market linkages to the passed out trainees.

Since 2007, three batches of Yashaswini have been conducted and 57 trainees completed their training. All those who have completed the course have gained confidence to live a meaningful life and have set on new paths in life. Each and every trainee has gained confidence, improved communication skills and developed a positive attitude towards life. " I can " is the mood of each trainee. Around 60% of the trainees have either started their self employment or are employed by and the others are following them. The trainees who have started self employment have mainly ventured out in different areas such as, animal rearing, large scale vermin composting, vegetable cultivation, harvesting and marketing, running tailoring class, taking orders of handicrafts and tailoring, running a ladies boutique and fruit processing.

The trainees who have taken up employment are working as extension workers and field workers coordinating and supporting self help groups or working as computer operators cum administrative support and working as ASHA with health department.

Based on the experiences and learning of implementing this project for last three years and the recommendation of the Review undertaken during the Year 2010, BAIF Development Research Foundation proposes to take ahead this initiative by building on existing structure and expanding the scope.