USHA Provides Mechanical Training To Budding Women Entrepreneurs

Meet Bina from Beerapura, a sole breadwinner of her family, raising her son and a daughter with the help of her skills - stitching and repairing machines.

Five years ago when Bina's husband died in an accident, she had to take all the responsibilities single-handedly. To sustain her family she joined USHA Silai School Program and enhanced her sewing skills.

Bina is one of the many women who took up the challenge of learning and practising technical training under USHA Silai School Program.

Today, Bina is the only woman in the village who can repair any kind of sewing machine. Not only is this, she has also trained many women in the hope of giving them a platform to be self-dependent like her.

Another success story comes from Imphal East, a district in Manipur. Elangbam Surbala, a Silai school student turned entrepreneur's family would majorly depend on farming, which is subsistence in nature, for running their house.

Financial instability and knowledge of basic sewing skills made Mrs Surbala enroll into Silai School Program and undergo training wherein she learned to stitch and repair machines.

After the training, Mrs Surbala opened her own Silai school and till date, she has trained five women and currently other seven are undergoing training.

By sewing, on an average she earns Rs. 12000 every month. Not only is this, repairing sewing machines acts as an additional source of income for her.

Just like Mrs Surbala, 29-year-old Sorokhaibam Latasana is also changing her fate and providing a better lifestyle to her family via stitching and repairing job.

To help her husband with some additional earning, Ms Latasana used to work at a tailoring shop at Imphal Bazaar as a daily wage labourer, but the work was not dignified enough. Also, it often became difficult for her to go to work due to the family inconvenience which further affected her earnings.

During her struggle, Ms Latasana came across USHA Silai School Program and underwent seven-day training after which she opened her own school. Till date, she has taught 11 learners and 5 others are undergoing the basic course of sewing. On average, she earns Rs. 8000 every month.

Now Ms Latasana's plan is to start her own business and engage women and girls of her locality. She also wants to establish mechanical servicing of the sewing machine in rural areas as a potential avenue of dignified earning for unemployed women and youths.