USHA Silai School Empowers The Women Affected By The Lockdown During COVID-19 Crisis
With 23,265 USHA Silai Schools present in 12,858 villages across all states and Union Territories in the country, more than 6.7 lakh women have been able to enhance their skills. They have become empowered and financially independent. Here is how the initiative is helping those in need, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meet Sunita Devi Kumawat, 37-year-old Silai Hero, USHA Silai School. She and her husband Nathu Lal Kumavat used to work as daily wage labourers and shifted to Bagru a few years ago, a small town close to Jaipur, penniless in search of jobs. She took up stitching and got trained at USHA Silai School. In 2016, Sunita became an entrepreneur and also started training other women. Sewing machine paved way for a better future for Sunita and even opened doors to Lakme Fashion Week 2018 as she worked on a fashion label with 31 other USHA Silai School women.
Cut to 2020, when the pandemic hit India and a strict nationwide lockdown had to be imposed in order to contain the spread of the virus. Because of the lockdown, many people lost their livelihood. But for Sunita, the work didn't stop as she continued working and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these unprecedented times, she took up stitching masks. With courage and determination, Sunita was able to earn about Rs. 1.3 lakh during the pandemic.
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 towards the opening of an Usha Silai School or support various other aspects of the school.
Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by USHA Silai School and NDTV has entered its eighth season. The aim is to empower more women across rural India by teaching them sewing skills and helping them open new doors of opportunities for themselves. The initiative encourages rural women to become financially independent and entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities.
Since 2011, the USHA Silai School initiative has trained more than 12 lakh rural women through over 33,000 Silai schools, spanning over 20,751 villages across India.
The women earn Rs. 4,000 – 5,000 per month on an average, with the highest recorded monthly earning being Rs. 84,000 in a month. This earning works as a catalyst towards building their self-confidence, reducing gender inequities, and raising their stature within their families and in society at large.
Team NDTV | Wednesday April 24, 2024By the end of 2022, for every Rs. 100 invested in the training of women, the Usha Silai School generated an average of Rs. 8,300, reported IIT-Delhi study
- Team NDTV | Wednesday January 31, 2024
The partnership between Usha and the Sewaj Neesim Foundation is empowering women and giving old uniforms a new identity, a new purpose, and a new pride
- Team NDTV | Tuesday January 30, 2024
Among the aims and objectives of the CRPF Family Welfare Association is to skill the CRPF wives and give them a sense of accomplishment
- Team NDTV | Monday January 29, 2024
Renowned for its skill development program in sewing and tailoring, Usha's training cum production centre is enabling the wives of Army personnel at the village level to become financially independent
- Team NDTV | Saturday January 27, 2024
Used for both offense and defence, Karra Samu and Kathi Samu are incredibly dynamic and visually captivating martial art forms
- Team NDTV | Saturday January 27, 2024
Usha Play has teamed up with the Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Trust, Tulja Bhavani Mardani Khel, and Prashikshan va Sanskrutik Seva Sanstha, Pune to revive an old indigenous sport of Maharashtra - Mardani Khel
