Threads Of Courage: Usha Silai School's Kushalta Ke Kadam Weaves Dreams Into Reality

In the dusty lanes of Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh, Kalpana clutches her sewing machine pedal, her fingers steady where fear once trembled. Once shackled by the Bedia community's dark customs—where young girls faced forced exploitation—she now threads needles that stitch dignity into her life. The Usha Silai School's Kushalta Ke Kadam campaign, powered by NDTV, ignited this change, transforming her from invisible to indispensable.

Breaking Chains in Bihar

Across borders in Kishanganj, Shabnam Parveen pedals through her past of child marriage, her foot firm on the treadle that powers her dreams. Rescued and retrained by Usha Silai School in partnership with Jan Nirman Kendra, she turned informal stitches into a formal enterprise, funding her BA studies and teaching neighbors. Kushalta Ke Kadam spotlights these warriors, saluting over 36,000 women nationwide who weave self-reliance from simple fabric.

Stitching Pride in Puducherry

Praveenamary's Basilica centre in Ezhil Nagar hums with six trainees mastering salwar suits and upcycled sarees. A homemaker turned entrepreneur, she credits Usha's nine-day training, machine kit, and family involvement for her ₹10,000 monthly income and 41 empowered mentees. Her husband's wall-painting support mirrors the campaign's ethos: when families unite, barriers unravel.

Threads of Transformation

Kushalta Ke Kadam, a multi-season NDTV collaboration with Usha Silai School, salutes these stories—from Madhya Pradesh's Training Cum Production Centres tackling stigma to Bihar's home-based schools defying patriarchy. Partners like Apparel Sector Skill Council and NABARD amplify reach, blending skill with social reform for marginalized voices. Women like Poorvi, who mastered machines in 15 days, prove one stitch breaks generational chains.

A Nation Sewn Anew

Over 36,000 entrepreneurs now thrive, their machines humming economic independence and community revival. Usha Silai School's model—training, certification, market links—fuels this, with NDTV's lens inspiring adoptions via ushasilaischool.com. In Kushalta Ke Kadam, every pedal press echoes: skills stitch possibilities, unstitching barriers forever.