Usha Silai Schools: Sewing Dreams, Sharing Strength
When women rise, generations rise. This holds true for women from Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Tamil Nadu who turned their challenges into opportunities. Usha Silai Schools helped them turn survival into shared success, inspiring their daughters to dream bigger. Take a look!
From the quiet villages of Jammu & Kashmir, Kanta Devi's journey from domestic struggles to Usha Silai School teacher embodies resilience. Earning Rs. 10,000-Rs. 20,000 monthly, she not only supports her family but inspires her daughter Tanya to dream of opening a boutique together, turning hardship into shared ambition.
Tanya Sharma, Kanta Devi's daughter, shares how witnessing her mother's tireless work-balancing teaching, tailoring, and single parenthood-taught her the power of independence. "Mama, you just learned sewing; I will become a designer," Tanya says, highlighting the intergenerational spark ignited by Usha Silai School.
Priya Debnath, Lakhi Debnath's daughter, evolved from feeling sidelined during her mother's training to embracing stitching as her passion. She now designs at a Delhi fashion house. "I learned it while playing," she recalls, crediting lockdown inspirations that turned observation into her own career path.
Fabiola's 19-year-old daughter Ishanika stands tall in confidence, funding her own college education, gold and a two-wheeler through self-taught Aari embroidery and pearl work. Pursuing a B.Sc. in Fashion Technology, she and her mother work together stitching not just clothes but a future of autonomy.
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 | Saturday March 22, 2025The USHA Silai School Program empowers women across India with sewing skills, transforming them into trainers and fostering community growth and independence
- Team NDTV | Thursday March 13, 2025
Celebrating women entrepreneurs and their handmade crafts, empowering communities through creativity at the 5th Meghalaya Aajivika Saras Mela
- Team NDTV | Tuesday March 11, 2025
USHA Silai School in Ramanathapuram empowers local women through tailoring education, enabling them to build businesses and achieve financial independence
- Team NDTV | Monday March 10, 2025
Mamata Devi's inspiring journey from hardship to empowerment through sewing training, uplifting her community and transforming lives
- Team NDTV | Thursday March 06, 2025
Women in rural India, like Geetaben and Leelaben, are transforming lives through Silai Schools and Training Cum Production Centres, fostering empowerment, skill development, and community resilience
- Team NDTV | Wednesday March 05, 2025
Anwara Begum's journey with USHA Silai School in Odisha showcases her transformation into a successful entrepreneur, empowering her community and inspiring young girls toward financial independence
