Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by USHA Silai School and NDTV has entered its tenth season. The aim is to empower women from rural India and encourage them to become entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities and helping them open new doors of opportunities for themselves.
USHA Silai School is a community-based initiative with the aim of empowering village women to become entrepreneurs and teach sewing in their respective communities.
Since 2011, the USHA Silai School initiative has trained more than 16,22,000 rural women through over 37, 806 Silai schools, spanning over 23,958 villages across 608 districts of 28 states and eight Union Territories of India.
Do you want to be a part of the huge change that Usha Silai School is bringing about in the lives of millions of rural women? With just a simple click of a button, you can now contribute to the opening of an Usha Silai School or support various other aspects of the school. Donate towards setting up an Usha Silai School by paying Rs 22,000.
Kanta Devi
Kanta Devi from Takkar Birpur, Samba, overcame domestic violence and hardship through the Usha Silai School program. Since 2020, she has run a Silai School from her brother’s home, teaching women and earning ₹10,000–20,000 monthly to support her children’s education. Her daughter Tanya, inspired by her mother, is now learning stitching too. Kanta’s story highlights how the program empowers women and builds intergenerational strength and dreams.
Lakhi Debnath
In the peaceful plains of Bokakhat, Assam, 38-year-old Lakhi Debnath transformed from a homemaker into a confident entrepreneur through the Usha Silai School program. Empowering women beyond caste and community, she inspired her daughter, who grew up watching her sew, to pursue fashion design. Now working in Delhi, her daughter aims to launch her own label in Assam. For Lakhi’s family, the Silai School symbolizes hope and intergenerational empowerment—building livelihoods and dreams one stitch at a time.
Fabiola
In Porpalampattu, Tamil Nadu, Ms. Fabiola, a Usha Swavalamban Silai School teacher, transformed her family’s life by training 114 learners and earning Rs. 20,000–25,000 monthly. She achieved financial stability, buying a house, gold, and helping her husband buy a lorry. Inspired by her mother, daughter Ishanika mastered garment making and embellishments, funding her education and purchases early on. Together, they run a creative enterprise, showcasing how the Silai School sparks intergenerational learning and entrepreneurship.
