Kushalta Ke Kadam
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USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

The aim of USHA Silai School has always been to empower both men and women and provide them a better source of livelihood. Keeping up with their motive, in Meghalaya, USHA Silai School trained women to make cloth bags, an alternative to single-use plastic bags, which have been banned by the state government. Along with this, USHA partnered with the Blind Relief Association in Delhi to provide sewing training to visually impaired students.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

In 2016, the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board banned the use of plastic bags with a thickness of less than 50 microns to protect the north-eastern state and its dense forest from plastic pollution. With a ban on plastic bags - an everyday essential, rose the need for an alternative to it.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

One of the alternatives is compostable bags, but the state government does not allow the use of compostable bags without prior license and permission. Also, procuring a license is a tedious process for shopkeepers and manufacturers. To bridge the gap, the state government conceptualised a project that could provide an alternative to plastic bags and simultaneously a source of income to disadvantaged women.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

The project gave birth to a venture between the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society (MSRLS) and USHA. The collaboration further led to the establishment of two production centres in the West Garo Hills and the Khasi Hills.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

As part of the project, 50 women from existing Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the state were selected and trained in stitching and sewing by USHA. Today, apart from regular sewing, women of the state are capable of stitching a variety of cloth and jute bags, an alternative to single-use plastic bags.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

Not only is USHA Silai School transforming the lives of disadvantaged women by providing them a source of livelihood, but also providing a skill set to the members of the Blind Relief Association in Delhi.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

In 2016, when Radhika Bharat Ram, Joint Secretary, Blind Relief Association, Delhi, got to know about USHA's Silai School initiative while looking for a vocational program, she approached USHA for a partnership.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

'Before this, we had never worked with visually impaired individuals so as an organisation it was an opportunity of learning and that is why the management decided to take this challenge. For the same, we introduced compact and advanced machines with additional features like auto threading and made some alterations in our training', explains Alok Shukla, USHA Representative.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

In the last two and a half years, USHA has trained 70 visually impaired individuals and currently, around eight are undergoing training. Today, the learners are capable of stitching varied bags, pouches, sarees, among other items.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

'I took the training from this center. I completed my course here and now I am working in a factory. I earn around Rs 10,000 in a month. All this is possible because of this school', says Savita, one of the learners.

USHA Silai School Goes Beyond The Mainstream To Empower And Uplift Individuals

The partnership and training helped five of the trainees take sewing as their full-fledged career.

Adopt a Silai School

Adopt a Silai School

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.

About the Initiative

About the Initiative

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.

 

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