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.
Written by Team NDTV | Friday December 12, 2025USHAs Silai School Programme empowers women across India by turning sewing into independence. Women become trainers and leaders, transforming their lives and communities through skills, confidence, and income
- Written by Team NDTV | Thursday December 11, 2025
USHA Silai School is empowering women across India by turning sewing skills into leadership and income. Women like Lalita, Yashira, and Pushpakala have become mentors, reviving traditions and building stronger communities. Their stories show how one skill can weave a brighter future.
- Written by Team NDTV | Wednesday December 10, 2025
From homemaker to celebrated teacher, Lakhi Debnath transformed her life via Usha Silai School, funding her daughters' education and buying land through tailoring
- Written by Team NDTV | Tuesday December 09, 2025
In Takkar Birpur village, Jammu and Kashmir, Kanta Devi escaped domestic violence and poverty through the Usha Silai School's tailoring training. Earning ₹10,00020,000 monthly, she now teaches women in border areas while inspiring her daughter Tanya to dream of a bourtique
- Written by Team NDTV | Thursday December 11, 2025
The USHA Silai School Program empowers women across India by teaching sewing skills, enabling them to earn an income, achieve financial independence, and build better futures for themselves and their families.
- Team NDTV | Saturday March 22, 2025
The USHA Silai School Program empowers women across India with sewing skills, transforming them into trainers and fostering community growth and independence
