Park and pay

“We offer various services. It usually starts with a shampoo that cleans the exterior,followed by a washing and drying before the polish wax is rubbed on to it,” says Devi,who now talks about auto products with ease. Devi and seven other women are part of Das Foundation’s project called Uththan,which enables women to earn by offering car spa services at parking lots.

“My husband is an alcoholic and doesn’t give me enough money to run the household. I have four children to take care of. This is something I enjoy doing,” says Devi,whose day begins at 11 a.m. at SelectCity mall in Saket when she dons a uniform,a dress that includes a bright yellow kurta and a navy blue salwar,and she is ready for the day.

There are three options that the car spa offers visitors. While the Silver Car Service costs only Rs 175 and includes a wash of the cars’ exteriors and a polish; the Platinum Car Service does a vacuuming of the interiors in addition to the exterior cleaning. That costs Rs 400. And if you want the entire car dry cleaned,then you can opt for the Premium Car Service at Rs 650.

Says Yogita Bhayana,founder of Das Foundation,“The idea came when many uneducated women came to me with their problems and did not know how to sustain themselves. And while most of the jobs required some basic level of education,these women were illiterate. And incidentally I was facing a lot of problems with my car wash. So I put the two together to initiate Uththan.”

Bhayana,29,was an air hostess for eight years before she set up her organisation. A year ago,she set it up with 30 women,but has now reduced the number to 10 to maintain quality of the work. “Once these women are trained and work with us,other car spa companies offer them a job with a higher pay,which is our aim,” says Bhayana.

The women are trained before they are put on the job. These women are paid Rs 3,100 a month and 10 per cent commission of each car wash. “The commission is a way to keep them motivated,” adds Bhayana.