Inclined towards sewing since childhood, Laboni's uncle helped her purchase a second hand sewing machine. Pursuing her hobby, Laboni started learning and practising sewing at home. And then she joined USHA Silai School programme in 2015.
Under USHA Silai School programme, Laboni not only honed her sewing skills, but also learned new techniques and styles. From learning about the basics of stitching garments like churidar, salwar, kurta, and patialato learning new stitching techniques and fashionable styles like different kind of blouses, hand stitching, Laboni learned it all from the professionals.
Determined to uplift her economic condition and provide a better life to her family, Laboni turned her hobby into her profession and opened her own sewing school in 2016. Since then she has trained 20 women and is currently training seven girls to stitch. Today, Laboni has a steady monthly income of Rs 5,000.
She was also shortlisted to be part of the team of 32 USHA Silai School women to work on the fashion label with professional fashion designers. This design label, launched at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018 will be sold at multiple outlets across the country.
Content in her new and improved life, Laboni plans to resume her studies andchase her dream of getting a government job. She believes this willhelp her support her family better than she currently does.
USHA hopes they will be able to capitalise on this advantage and that their continued intervention will turn Puducherry into a strong contender in the silambam circuit of India
USHA has been persistently promoting local traditions and culture around the country, whether through traditional forms of art and craft or indigenous forms of spor
Yoga is practised worldwide by millions of people in many forms and variations. At its core, it is a mind-body practise combining physical posture, breathing techniques, and meditation for both health and relaxation
USHA has been joining hands with like minded partners as well as individuals to bring the benefits to as many women beneficiaries as possible
Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by NDTV and USHA, aims at empowering women from rural India and encourages them to become entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities. Since 2011 Usha Silai Campaign has trained more than 3.95 lakh rural women within five years, with 17,000 Silai schools, spanning over 9272 Indian villages in India.
Kushalta Ke Kadam in Season 4 has returned with new goals and vision. The new season will witness the establishment of the new cluster in Kashmir, apart from the existing four clusters setup last year. The women from volatile Kashmir will work with well-known fashion designer Rohit Bal and get an unique opportunity to learn from him and make clothes for him. The work done by the Silai School women will be presented at Lakme Fashion week 2019.
Rebari girls grow up learning traditional embroidery, which along with their new found sewing skills developed at Usha Silai Schools, is helping them earn a living.
Usha Silai School has empowered many rural women to support their family and send their children to school.
The Usha Silai School, established in a small nondescript village that goes by the name of Kottai, is helping empower people from varied communities.
The all-inclusive Usha Silai School Programme covers the entire nation from hamlets tucked between hills to villages cast by the sea.
Vegetables farmers from the Mizoram hills earn very little given the topography of the area. Usha Silai Schools have played an important part in this region by skilling women to financially contribute towards their households.
Usha Silai School learner Lucy has trained seven other women in her community, helping them to become financially independent.
Women like Kaviben from the nomadic Rebari community are finally laying down their roots as they begin to gain financial independence and thereby stability through Usha Silai School.
Usha Silai School, located in the Gujarat's Bhuj village, is enabling rural women to earn as much as Rs. 2,500-4,000 each month.
Usha Silai School, in association with a Gujarat based NGO called Kala Raksha, is trying to bring about a Silai revolution in Bhuj.
Besides training other women from their community, many Usha Silai School learners have become entrepreneurs in their own right.
With sewing becoming easily accessible and lucrative, the silai schools are also helping revive traditional motifs and designs.