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

A collective effort can yield powerful results and the training and production centre established by the NGO Sankalp, in collaboration with the USHA Silai school program, is one such joint effort to create potential women entrepreneurs. Sankalp believes that to lift people out of poverty, it is necessary to enhance the livelihood capabilities of the poor, and give them access to sustainable income-earning opportunities. Prof Sangram Mudali, President, Sankalp NGO tells NDTV,

Our partnership with USHA was really because of the intervention of our local USHA head, Shri Bijay Nand Babu, who took a particular interest in our school, because he understood our objectives are similar. USHA is a foundation that tries its best to provide means of income to those girl children, or it's not restricted to girls, even boys can take the programme, and to train them for livelihoods.

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

Sankalp was established in 2011 with an aim to promote social justice, particularly in underprivileged districts, where malnutrition, education, and any higher opportunity of income, is not available. Today, almost a decade later, it is helping fight poverty by providing quality education to the students, and also giving them means of livelihood.

The centre is the only skill development institute in 5 village panchayats. It has created 20 women entrepreneurs, and distributed 8,000 masks in nearby villages, free of cost during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chakradhar Pradhan, Secretary, Sankalp says,

The training centre that we have opened, we got three types of machines for it – black machine, white machine and some industrial machines. So those who came for training, were trained how to operate the white machine and the industrial machine, how to do embroidery, and how to cut in different styles. 

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

This centre typifies the programme's hub and spoke model, where the centre is the hub, and the benefits spread outwards to all those associated with it. Nirupama, Silai Hero, Sankalp NGO tells NDTV,

I work here at the Sankalp Training Centre. I make everything, like pants, shirts, school uniforms, blouses, dresses. My husband is handicapped, I work here and earn around Rs 6,000 to 7,000. 

Another Silari Hero, Babina says that she has made everything here from school uniforms to masks during the pandemic. Arati, Silai Hero, also told NDTV about her work during the pandemic,

My financial situation is not that good. During the lockdown, I made masks and dresses. I earned Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. I have 6 members in my family, and the income helped me to overcome my financial situation.

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

It isn't just women empowerment, Sankalp also works for children. Sankalp's informal learning centres are for children who can't afford to pay a school fee. Prof Sangram Mudali, President, Sankalp NGO explains,

The school in Cuttack district was established with the primary objective of providing quality education to about 500-700 students, who come from 18 different districts of western Odisha and southwestern Odisha, who are the most underprivileged. And they do not have access to any education. I will take an example, in the COVID situation, these students have missed a complete form of education. Either because of one teacher school policy, or through digital education because the internet is not accessible out there, and the quality of education is extremely poor. So our school provides quality education right from nursery up to class 10, and we link it up with an ITI, which is an Industrial Training Institute, in which these students get all the skills necessary to graduate as fitters, as electricians, solar panel operators. And now added to this is tailoring, and a few other things we have in the pipeline, such as biogas and renewable energy resources. So our aim is to provide these children and make each one of the agents of change. When he goes back to his respective village, or he goes back to a metro town, or a tier-two city, and is able to earn enough to feed, not only his family but his entire group of brothers and sisters. So, each student has therefore a role. So we not only teach them the skills through education, but we also teach them morals, ethics, and giving back to the society because they have received so much. 

For Sankalp development is a liberating force, and they do this by educating, organising and empowering the poorest of the poor.