Usha Silai Schools: Partnering For Sustainable Progress
Usha Silai Schools' Kushalta Ke Kadam unites with NIRDPR and state governments, transforming West Bengal transgender artisans, Telangana tribal stitchers, and Meghalaya embroidery preservers into empowered livelihoods
In a bright training room in West Bengal, transgender participants sit attentively at Usha sewing machines under the NIRDPR-CIRDAP Action Lab for Inclusive Livelihoods, guided by a skilled Usha instructor. Amid colorful fabric rolls and pattern charts, they practice precise stitches on apparel pieces, embodying the program's focus on skill-building for economic dignity and social inclusion, with PLEQSUS India Foundation ensuring a supportive environment that breaks barriers and fosters self-employment for marginalized communities.
Sudeb Suvana, Director of PLEQSUS India Foundation, engages with a group of transgender entrepreneurs in West Bengal, discussing future dreams of forming a trans-led company amid sewing stations filled with completed garments. The scene captures gratitude toward NIRDPR and Usha for opening new paths, where tailoring becomes a gender-neutral profession offering respectful, sustainable income and the chance to revive community dignity through entrepreneurship and role-model creation.
In Mulugu district, Telangana, women from remote villages gather in a Usha Entrepreneurs Initiative training center, stitching school uniforms under the guidance of district administration and Usha coordinators. Focused hands operate machines on bulk orders, reflecting the partnership's impact as participants like Prashanthi learn advanced designs, earn from local needs, and support children's education, transforming dependency into household bargaining power and community stability.
District Collector Sri T.S. Divakara, IAS, visits a Chalwai training cum production center in Mulugu, observing women confidently managing cutting and stitching of uniforms and traditional wear. Amid machines donated by Usha and piles of completed garments, his leadership underscores the circular economy vision-providing latest skills, sustained work orders, and pathways to bulk contracts with apparel companies, empowering rural women to lead economically without migration.
In Meghalaya's Training Cum Production Centres, women from MSRLS collaborate with Usha master trainers to revive Khneng embroidery on traditional fabrics, blending heritage stitches with modern designs. Amid vibrant threads and looms, participants prepare pieces for the Saras Aajivika Fair fashion show, where they walk the ramp in self-stitched garments, showcasing the six-year partnership's success in creating sustainable livelihoods, cultural preservation, and national recognition for matrilineal empowerment.