Life Skill Tools Are Helping Women Live Better, Says Silai Hero Sweta Sudarshan Of Bihar

USHA has been training rural women in sewing and stitching for the past 11 years but now the program is going one step further by providing life skill training to these women entrepreneurs. USHA has partnered with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to take life skills education to rural women. Equipped with Life Skills women are able to manage their social dynamics, facilitate economic aspects and also live healthier lives. In Patna, Bihar, Silai Hero Sweta Sudarshan is the face of the joint initiative of USHA and UNFPA to take life skills to women in rural areas.

Also Read: Here Is How USHA And SIDBI's Partnership Is Helping Gouri Debnath Of Tripura Earn A Better Income

To implement the programme, a life skill module had been designed for the women of the USHA Silai School. Master Trainer Sweta Sudarshan said,

I started my journey after graduation. I studied in Patna Women ‘s College which is considered a better institution and everyone in the family wanted me to do a job but I was not much interested and wanted to start my own business. So, I got some pamphlets printed and distributed it in my locality but people were initially sceptical. When told people that I am starting something related to tailoring, they said that I will not be able to succeed. I used to hear all sorts of nasty comments from family members as it was not considered good if a female of the family did stitching for money.

Even after receiving no support from her family, Sweta never gave up. She started full-time sewing classes. She got to know about the USHA Silai School programme in 2017 and participated in the training. To recruit students, she went to the slum area next to her house. Sweta says the motivation level among the children from the slum was the highest she has seen, and they accepted everything thrown at them as a challenge.  She said,

“I have noticed one thing about slum children that if you promote them for anything then they work with all their sincerity. It is not that they are not obsessed with social media like any other kids of their age but if they come here for two hours then they are giving full attention to training in that period. A lot of people come and work among them but no one thinks about livelihood but here I was guiding them to become financially independent. Since I grew up in the same locality, so, my empathy for them is much more natural and being a female I want all the girls to carve out a niche for themselves.”

It was easier said than done though, and the first hurdle was convincing the parents of the children from the slum. According to Sweta, people in her locality thought it was a government-run programme and thus all should be included in the training, and it took a lot of explaining from her side to convince them that she is running the programme on her own with support from USHA and her can only take those children who are above the age of 15. Most of the children from the slum area also now running independent stores. They say the training has given them economic independence.

Sweta says what has really helped her is the exposure gained in her travels across the country. It has given her enough inspiration to think out of the box and be innovative.

Also Read: USHA International And CRPF Family Welfare Association Join Hands To Skill And Empower Women