In Partnership With The Government, Usha Silai School Is Helping Women Of Ladakh Earn A Steady Income

Nestled amidst the stunning landscapes of Ladakh, the Usha Silai School stands as a beacon of hope and opportunity for many women residing in the remote corners of the Union Territory Ladakh. The Usha Silai School Centre provides sewing training to women from various Anganwadi centres of Leh, Kargil, and Dras in Ladakh. Mansoora Banoo from Kargil is one of the many women beneficiaries of the Usha Silai School, situated amid the snow-capped mountains. On learning about the Usha Silai School training programme, Mansoora decided to grab the opportunity. She travelled to Leh and enrolled herself in a comprehensive nine-day training.

Mansoora Banoo, a Trainee at the Usha Silai School said,

I would do a little stitching work at home. I would sew back any open stitch on a cloth, pillow covers, or fitting work with children's uniforms. I would do it on a hand-operated machine. This is the first time I have worked on a stand machine.

Sharing the lessons she learned as part of the training, Mansoora said that for the first two days, they were familiarised with the functioning of the sewing machine. She explained,

First, our trainer shared a step-by-step guide on setting up the machine. Following this, we adjusted our sewing stands. Then he told us about the different parts of the machine and the role that every part plays. He also showed us how to fix a part of the machine in case of a malfunction. He told us what to do if the thread breaks, if the machine seizes or the handwheel stops working.

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Following this, training was provided on measuring and stitching a kurta. These are all learnings that are now standing Mansoora in good stead. With the training, Usha, the Ladakh Skill Development Mission (LSDM) and Social and Tribal Welfare Department have provided her with the means to earn a steady income. They have given her the opportunity and the tools to become self-reliant. Mansoora further said,

Everything has become expensive these days. One has to spend a lot on school fees for the children. They also need books to study. Secondly, nothing here is available for cheap, given that it all comes from far away. There are issues, but now I have learned to adjust. This (training) will also be helpful. I am very grateful to ma'am that we have got such a big opportunity to come here.

The Ladakh Skill Development Mission and Social and Tribal Welfare Department in Ladakh together collaborated with Usha International Limited to shape and guide the administration's skill development programmes. The collaboration with LSDM represents a fresh and extraordinary partnership with the government organisation focused on providing training to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) or Anganwadi workers.

Padma Angmo, IIS, Commissioner/Secretary, Administration of U.T. of Ladakh emphasised the pivotal role of Anganwadi workers in this endeavour, saying,

Under the Skill Development Mission, our role is to upskill people so that they can look for alternative livelihood opportunities. So, I thought why not Anganwadi workers.

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Furthermore, the model aspires to transform Anganwadi centres into multifunctional platforms. New mothers bring their infants to the centres which provides them with the valuable opportunity to acquire new skills that can enhance their income. Besides imparting sewing skills, these centres also disseminate crucial information on child vaccinations and other pertinent issues. Moreover, the Anganwadi workers themselves will benefit from an additional income source by teaching sewing, taking up job orders and repairing sewing machines. The successful model can be replicated by other states to fortify the ICDS centres.

Padma Angoo added,

We are doing a lot when it comes to skill development in children, college students and school dropouts. Since there is an Anganwadi centre in every village, I felt that Anganwadi centers could be a hub for women's empowerment.

The Ladakh Skill Development Mission and Social and Tribal Welfare Department are establishing Usha Silai Schools in 13 ICDS Centres, which are Integrated Child Development Services or Anganwadi Centres. In these schools, the Anganwadi workers will teach sewing and stitching to other women who visit the centre. This project is being implemented as a pilot programme, and if it is successful, it will be expanded to other areas in the union territory by the Ladakh Skill Development Mission and Social and Tribal Welfare Department.

Explaining the thought behind such a plan, Padma Angoo said,

The idea was that Anganwadi workers should learn and start their centre in the Anganwadi hub, where they meet all the requirements of the village, from the centre itself. The silai centre they open can also be used to train other women of the village.

Mary Rupa Tete, Vice President, Usha Social Services, said,

One of the key objectives of the Usha Silai School programme is to reach the remotest corners of the country. We feel that the women residing in these areas are in greater dearth of opportunities, and therefore, urgently need a livelihood intervention like the Usha Silai School programme. In this endeavour, we have extended the outreach of the programme to the national borders of the country and even areas that are difficult to reach because of physical barriers, remoteness or because they are conflict-inflicted areas. Every year, we challenge ourselves to expand further into such untouched areas.

The partnership between Usha Silai School and the Ladakh Skill Development Mission is a significant step towards empowering the women of Ladakh by providing them with the necessary skills and resources to carve their path, a path that will inevitably lead to the development of the community as a whole. Usha's unparalleled reach is not only helping women in every corner of the country stand on their own feet but also heralds the dawn of community development.

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