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Defying All Odds And Disability, Rekhaben Became The Sole Bread Earner Of The Family, Thanks To Silai School
Delhi: Rekhaben Manojbhai Solanki, 36-year-old mother of two from Dholka district of Ahmedabad, has shaped her life around realisation of one objective- welfare of her family. From dusk to dawn, her life revolves around her family, especially her mentally challenged husband and running her household. Disabled herself and continuous deterioration in the health of Rekhaben's husband, meant that the family was grappling with intense poverty. But all these adversities didn't break Rekhaben's spirit, in fact it made her will stronger. Determined to feed her family and provide the best education to her children, Rekhaben, herself took up the reins of her family.
Rekhaben, joined USHA Silai School programme back in 2016 and started learning the art of sewing. Step by step, bit by bit, she learned to sew different clothing items like blouse, dress,suits and so on. As soon as Rekhaben completed her training, she opened her own sewing school in her neighbourhood. So far she has trained seven people and is currently taking a class of four students. No challenge seems big enough for Rekhaben. She competed with women from all across her zone to became a part of the team of 32 USHA Silai School women who worked with professional fashion designers to produce a fashion line.
Today Rekhaben is the only bread earner in her family and manages to earn Rs. 5,000 per month. With the help of her mother-in-law, she strikes a balance between managing her household and Silai School. During her free time, she completes sewing orders. Both her sons, of which the younger one is in the first grade and the elder one is in the third grade, studies in a private school. Rekhaben's only aim in life is to provide the best education to her children.
Also Read: After Losing Her Father At A Very Young Age, Laboni Shouldered The Responsibility Of Her Family
Published: April 20, 2018 16:08 IST
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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.
Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching
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.
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