Thaliru FoundationAutorickshaw DrivingSingle MothersAbuse SurvivorsBengaluru
Bengaluru NGO Helps Single Mothers, Abuse Survivors Gain Livelihood Through Autorickshaw Driving
Published: May 9, 2026
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The Thaliru Foundation, a Bengaluru-based NGO, has launched an initiative to provide free autorickshaw driving training to single mothers and abuse survivors. The 'Swavalambi Stree Auto-Rickshaw Driving' programme, funded through CSR, has helped several women in the city gain a livelihood and become financially independent.
Uma, a Mysuru native, is one such beneficiary who has found a new source of income through the programme. After losing her husband to tuberculosis and alcoholism, Uma struggled to make ends meet and care for her children, but driving an autorickshaw has helped her repay loans and spend more time with her family.
Sandhya, a Bengaluru resident, took up autorickshaw driving after losing her husband to alcoholism and her brother to a bike accident, and is now learning to drive to support her two children.
The programme has also helped Nagaratna, who stepped out of an abusive marriage and is now raising her two sons, to gain financial independence. The Thaliru Foundation provides training at centres in Jambu Savari Dinne, Hebbal, Rajajinagar, and Jayamahal, and has helped several women obtain their licenses and purchase their own vehicles.
The immediate next steps for the programme include expanding the training centres and increasing the number of women enrolled, with the foundation aiming to empower more single mothers and abuse survivors to become financially independent.