From Jobless To Creating Jobs, It's Been A Fulfilling Journey For Poonam Verma

Lucknow: In India, no more than 14% of business establishments are run by female entrepreneurs, according to the Sixth Economic Census by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). This means that out of the 58.5 million businesses in India, only 8.05 million are managed by women. This only suggests that women in many parts of the country are still not prepared to take on the reins of their own business. More so in the interiors of the country where women anyway have less exposure and opportunities, given that in many places women stepping out of their homes to earn a living is still frowned upon. Even now it is a man's world and it is considered a man's job to make money, run the household and put food on the table for the family. 

Circumstances were slightly different for Poonam Verma, 32, a resident of the Deoria district located approximately 300 Km from Lucknow.  Unlike most women in the state, Poonam was educated. She had earned a Masters degree in Arts. But despite her qualifications she could not find a suitable job opportunity. Starting something of her was an alien concept in her surroundings.

After I was married, I lived on what my husband earned. My husband owns a small shop but it doesn't yield enough to feed the entire family. Expenses increased when our children grew up. It was difficult to pay for their school fees and buy their uniforms" she says.

Footing bills, became a daily challenge for Poonam and her husband. It was then that Poonam came in contact of an organisation that changed her life.

Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna (RGMVP), a community-driven government organisation working towards poverty reduction and women's empowerment, has been working dedicatedly in the small villages of North India, including those of Uttar Pradesh.

As Poonam's village is one among those receiving help from the organisation, she too was referred to the Usha Silai School training programme by them.

"(The women of Deoria district) were informed by RGMVP that Usha Silai School was conducting a 7-day sewing and embroidery training in (the nearby city) Gorakhpur," she said. "As I knew how to sew, I was also asked to attend the programme."

As part of the Usha Silai School training, which works to provide wholesome training to underprivileged women in India,to enable them to start their own sewing schools, those who complete the programmme receive a sewing machine.
 
Once Poonam completed her training, she started her own sewing school in 2013 with only one sewing machine. Since then she has been diligently running her school and has now expanded it by adding two more sewing machines.

Till date, Poonam has trained over 50 women in her village. Currently, teaching a class of 20 women, she charges her students Rs 100 for a month. Apart from this, she also earns approximately Rs 300 per month from tailoring work.

Some of the students attending Poonam's sewing school say, sewing helps them save money, afterall they no longer need to buy clothes on festivals or spend on new uniforms for their children.
 
Like a ripple effect, Poonam's initiation into sewing has inspired many women around her to start sewing school of their own.
 

Girls and women can become entrepreneurs even if they only start by a boutique or become tailors, says Poonam.

Watch: Poonam, an Example of Gender Equality in a Small Village of India

Thus, through the Usha Silai School, Poonam has found a new source of confidence, a new identity, something she hopes to sow seeds of in other women too.
 

Also Read: 'I Want To Improve Condition Of My Family, Educate My Children,' Says Chhotibai