St Mary's Mahila Shikshan Kendra

St Mary's Mahila Shikshan Kendra is a women's handicraft organisation run by the Dominican Sisters in Gomtipur, Ahmedabad. This area of Ahmedabad, once known for its textile mills, suffered high rates of unemployment when global competition closed the mills in the 1980s.

Artisans of St. Mary's create embroidery in the tradition of the Kathiawadi, a craft more than a thousand years old. They receive a savings plan, learn new handicraft skills and share in the decision-making and project responsibilities.

St Mary's runs a dispensary and maternity clinic that caters to the poor and marginalised women in the area. It also runs health and children's education programs for the community.