Galaxy Enterprise And USHA Silai School Program Are Kindling A New Hope Among Women Of Meghalaya

Tura, the largest town in Meghalaya, after the capital Shillong, is located in the foothills of the Tura range of the Garo Hills. A cultural and administrative centre of the Garo Tribe - an indigenous Tibeto-Burman ethnic group - Tura is a municipality town. To enable and empower the unemployed youth of Meghalaya, especially women and girls, with skill training, Galaxy Enterprise in partnership with the USHA Silai School Program opened a training and production centre at Tura. The training centre not only provided an additional skill to 30 beneficiaries but also an alternative and sustainable source of livelihood. Here's an inspiring story of perseverance to bring about a change and lead a better life.

Also Read: USHA Silai School Ensured Sustenance To Bihar's Kalawati Devi Even During Covid

Galaxy Enterprise, a proprietorship enterprise was set up in 2018 by Mehtab Chandi Agitok Sangma, one of the renowned entrepreneurs and social activists of Meghalaya. The enterprise expressed interest to set up a training cum production centre in Tura to meet the demand of local garments and other textile products and skill rural women. Talking more about the initiative, Kishore Kalita, Deputy Manager, USHA Social Services, said,

For providing livelihood opportunities to those students (jobless or school dropouts), they (Galaxy Enterprise) wanted to start one centre. They selected around 29 learners who have passed out from the sewing school, and also from the nearby villages.

Also Read: USHA Silai Hero, Assam's Gouri Das Conducted Classes Even During The Covid Pandemic

The training was imparted in two batches of 15 women in each covering topics like marketable products like a frock, palazzo, nighty, cushion cover, bags, among others. The two-day training on sewing machine assembly, repair, troubleshoot and maintenance was also included. Having completed the training, women now come to the production centre where they produce and market products.

After training, Galaxy Enterprise appointed a coordinator to handhold beneficiaries and manage centre on a day-to-day basis. The women entrepreneurs received orders from the local market and delivered around 30 nighties in April this year, prior to the lockdown and collectively earned Rs. 12,000. Women at the production centre also stitched petticoats and earned Rs. 6000. Currently, an order of 50 frocks is in the final stage which will bring them Rs. 25,000.

Also Read: USHA Silai Mobile App Enhancing Skills, Augmenting Income Of The Silai Women

Elaborating more on the programme and the kind of response it received from locals, Kiran Kumar Damai, Manager, Galaxy Enterprise, said,

The response was tremendous, as women from rural areas joined our programme. Now, we have started training with USHA also, so people are interested in taking this opportunity, as well as the job under USHA and Galaxy Enterprise. We are trying to open a new batch again in our Silai School as well as in the production house. Also, I'm trying to do conduct local market research in Tura to help local people, especially women. They will get job opportunities over here.

Elated with the establishment of training and production centre in Tura, Hira D Sangma, Silai Hero, Galaxy Enterprise said this is the only such centre, and it has been very beneficial for the Garo women. She added,

It will be beneficial in the future as well, for girls who do not have jobs or are school dropouts who are not getting jobs and are interested in stitching. If they stay in villages, their stitching skills are of no use. But when they come to such production centres, they can work, earn money and solve many of their problems.

Also Read: Sankalp NGO And Usha Silai Schools Joint Efforts Created 20 Women Entrepreneurs

Most of the beneficiaries are from very poor families and work as daily wage labourers in the agricultural field. A few of them have small poultry and piggery units. But the training has provided them with an additional skill which can shape their future. Talking about the same, Dikkanchi Marak, Silai Hero, Galaxy Enterprise, said,

For girls, this is a way to earn for themselves. And the ones who do not have jobs can train here and start their own business, or work for the production centre. They can earn for themselves and run their homes.

This training and production centre by Galaxy Enterprise and USHA Silai School program has not only brought new confidence, self-reliance and resilience among the women of the region, it has also kindled in them new hope, a hope that is now entirely in their own hands.

Also Read: Kushalta Ke Kadam: Raigad's Jayashree Became Sole Breadwinner For Her Family During Crisis