The rural women of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal have undergone stitching and sewing training in USHA Training Centres, and learned new and traditional art forms of stitching garments. Most of these women are now financially independent and are imparting their knowledge to other women in their villages.
At Binita Bhatta's Silai school, the day starts with a hymn to Lord Jagannath. Ms Bhatta is not only helping other women stand on their feet but is also showing them a new way to live life. USHA gave a boost to mS Bhatta's skills in Chandua patch work. Now, she is not only writing a new story on the strength of these women, but is also rescuing other women from financial crises.
Chandua is synonymous with PipIli, in the Puri district of Odisha. It is an art form that is being kept alive in practically every household. It is a means of livelihood for many people, and now USHA is playing an important role in keeping this traditional applique work alive by training rural women.
Swarnlata Panda has been making Chandua art on clothes for the last 15 years, using embroidery to make new products and create new looks for clothes. After undertaking training with USHA for 9 days, Ms Panda is now teaching these skills to women from 11 families through the USHA Silai school. In fact, the Odisha government has now made her their own trainer.
Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by NDTV and USHA, aims at empowering women from rural India and encourages them to become entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities. Since 2011 Usha Silai Campaign has trained more than 3.95 lakh rural women within five years, with 17,000 Silai schools, spanning over 9272 Indian villages in India.
Kushalta Ke Kadam in Season 4 has returned with new goals and vision. The new season will witness the establishment of the new cluster in Kashmir, apart from the existing four clusters setup last year. The women from volatile Kashmir will work with well-known fashion designer Rohit Bal and get an unique opportunity to learn from him and make clothes for him. The work done by the Silai School women will be presented at Lakme Fashion week 2019.
USHA hopes they will be able to capitalise on this advantage and that their continued intervention will turn Puducherry into a strong contender in the silambam circuit of India
USHA has been persistently promoting local traditions and culture around the country, whether through traditional forms of art and craft or indigenous forms of spor
Yoga is practised worldwide by millions of people in many forms and variations. At its core, it is a mind-body practise combining physical posture, breathing techniques, and meditation for both health and relaxation
USHA has been joining hands with like minded partners as well as individuals to bring the benefits to as many women beneficiaries as possible
The North Western Railway Womens Welfare Organisation (NWRWWO) has been committed to working for the welfare of railway employees and their families. In addition to this Silai school, they have donated RO water plants and promoted sports in various regions
With the plastic ban in the state, the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society (MSRLS) saw this as an opportunity to curb pollution and create employment for women who could stitch cloth bags