Dhule, Maharashtra: In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Dhule, a small district in Maharashtra, as one of the country's 250 most backward districts. Being the sixth poorest district in the state, it is currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme. Living in this district is a woman named Chhotibai Sahebrao Chaure who, for the last five years, has been running her own Silai school. Chhotibai's family consists of 30 members that is more mouths to fill than the meagre income from farming can support. Her children ended up suffering the most as school fees was a luxury the family could ill-afford. There were hardly any savings for sending children to school.
"Earlier, my financial condition was very weak. My family would only depend on the produce we would get from farming but there was hardly any profit coming in when it didn't rain."
Under such trying circumstances, Chhotibai decided to enroll herself for her first USHA Silai School training class. USHA Silai School, a community based initiative, aims to empower village women to become entrepreneurs and teach sewing in their respective communities. More than one per cent from the sale of every Usha Sewing Machine is invested into this programme. More than 10,000 women are being trained every day under this initiative.
"Usha Silai School was my only hope to earn more money. With the money that I would earn, I wanted to pay for my children's school fees," says Chhotibai.
The training she received did help her to stand on her own feet as soon after Chhotibai started her own silai school using USHA sewing machines.
"I have been conducting the (sewing) classes for 5 years and have earned approximately Rs 2 lakh till now."
Like many other women in the village, Chhotibai didn't have her own bank account before she started holding these classes. "Now, I have my own bank account. I am also able to provide for my family and ensure their needs are met,"says the proud mother.
"The income of our family is coming from my wife's earnings" says Chhotibai's husband who takes pride in the fact that his wife too is an earning member of the house.
"My work has changed my life and if I had not been doing this then my children would have never gone to good schools and have the opportunity to get educated. They would have become farmers too," says Chhotibai.
She hopes that more women take training from her and start their own small business so they too can provide their children with a better life.
"I want to improve the condition of my family. I wanted to educate my children and train other women so that they progress too," says Chhotibai. "I want them to progress the way I did and that is my aim for the next two years."
