- Home/
- Transforming Lives Stitch By Stitch: Usha And Lions Club Siliguri Are Offering Skill Training To Women
Transforming Lives Stitch By Stitch: Usha And Lions Club Siliguri Are Offering Skill Training To Women
Team NDTV | Updated: December 26, 2023 16:21 IST
In the bustling city of Siliguri in West Bengal, renowned as the ‘Gateway of Northeast India', a master's training class is underway with 15 women who are interested in sewing and possess basic knowledge of stitching. Under the guidance of Vishnu Sharma who has been associated with Usha International for 28 years, the women are learning how to assemble and repair Usha Silai machines at the training centre. This initiative is part of Usha International's broader mission to expand training centers for women to learn sewing and stitching across West Bengal in partnership with Lions Club, a non-governmental organisation providing skill-building opportunities not only in Siliguri but also in neighboring areas like Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.
Also Read: Empowering Women Through Skill And Tradition: The Usha Silai Initiative In Karauli
The master training at Lions Club focuses on teaching the nuances of cloth cutting, taking basic measurements and mastering simple patterns essential for everyday attire. Reflecting on her journey, Ruma Moitra Chakravarty, a Trainee at the Usha Silai School said,
Yesterday, sir taught us how to repair the sewing machine and acquainted us with the names of all its parts.
Upon completion of the master's training, each student will receive a certificate, paving the way for better work opportunities. Nobnita Pal, another Trainee at the Usha Silai School shared her aspirations, saying,
I want to do something for my family, to build a brighter future by doing something of my own. That is what I am hoping to achieve with this master training.
Also Read: Women In Kerala's Kasaragod Are Stitching Lab Coats For The Medical Students
Partnerships enable the amalgamation of resources, knowledge, and networks, and it is evident here at the Usha Silai School programme and Lions Club Sui Dhaga programme, where both entities are working with a common goal of fostering financial independence and self-reliance among women. Shedding light on the collaborative ethos, Saikat Naskar, Regional Manager, North East, Usha International Limited said,
There are various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders who conduct silai training at the local level. Soon, they felt the need to collaborate with a particular leader who is into sewing and stitching, therefore they contacted USHA Silai School to add value to their program.
Echoing the same sentiment, Renu Agarwal, President, Women's Wing, Lions Club in Siliguri said,
Usha and our members are providing training here. The support we have got from this partnership will help us take this program forward and all 15 women can stand on their own feet and earn for themselves.
USHA has successfully established that one single sewing machine can be the most powerful tool in empowering women and helping them attain financial independence. Usha's commitment to empowering as many women as possible through skill-building initiatives remains unwavering.
Their vision has resonated with diverse partners, each sharing a common goal. Institutions ranging from Maharaja Ganesh Pal Charitable Trust and Fathima School to Star Cement and Lions Club, though varied, have united under Usha's banner, to work for a common cause.
With an expanding network of partners, the Usha Silai Programme is expanding its reach, going from strength to strength.
Also Read: From Traditional Tribes To Thriving Entrepreneurs, How The Lives Of Women In Assam Changed
Published: January 05, 2024 15:59 IST
Team NDTV | Wednesday April 24, 2024By the end of 2022, for every Rs. 100 invested in the training of women, the Usha Silai School generated an average of Rs. 8,300, reported IIT-Delhi study
- Team NDTV | Wednesday January 31, 2024
The partnership between Usha and the Sewaj Neesim Foundation is empowering women and giving old uniforms a new identity, a new purpose, and a new pride
- Team NDTV | Tuesday January 30, 2024
Among the aims and objectives of the CRPF Family Welfare Association is to skill the CRPF wives and give them a sense of accomplishment
- Team NDTV | Monday January 29, 2024
Renowned for its skill development program in sewing and tailoring, Usha's training cum production centre is enabling the wives of Army personnel at the village level to become financially independent
Do you want to be a part of the huge change that Usha Silai School is bringing about in the lives of millions of rural women? With just a simple click of a button, you can now contribute towards the opening of an Usha Silai School or support various other aspects of the school.
Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by USHA Silai School and NDTV has entered its eighth season. The aim is to empower more women across rural India by teaching them sewing skills and helping them open new doors of opportunities for themselves. The initiative encourages rural women to become financially independent and entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities.
Since 2011, the USHA Silai School initiative has trained more than 12 lakh rural women through over 33,000 Silai schools, spanning over 20,751 villages across India.
The women earn Rs. 4,000 – 5,000 per month on an average, with the highest recorded monthly earning being Rs. 84,000 in a month. This earning works as a catalyst towards building their self-confidence, reducing gender inequities, and raising their stature within their families and in society at large.
Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching
Rebari girls grow up learning traditional embroidery, which along with their new found sewing skills developed at Usha Silai Schools, is helping them earn a living.
Usha Silai School has empowered many rural women to support their family and send their children to school.
The Usha Silai School, established in a small nondescript village that goes by the name of Kottai, is helping empower people from varied communities.
The all-inclusive Usha Silai School Programme covers the entire nation from hamlets tucked between hills to villages cast by the sea.
Vegetables farmers from the Mizoram hills earn very little given the topography of the area. Usha Silai Schools have played an important part in this region by skilling women to financially contribute towards their households.
Usha Silai School learner Lucy has trained seven other women in her community, helping them to become financially independent.
Women like Kaviben from the nomadic Rebari community are finally laying down their roots as they begin to gain financial independence and thereby stability through Usha Silai School.
Usha Silai School, located in the Gujarat's Bhuj village, is enabling rural women to earn as much as Rs. 2,500-4,000 each month.
Usha Silai School, in association with a Gujarat based NGO called Kala Raksha, is trying to bring about a Silai revolution in Bhuj.
Besides training other women from their community, many Usha Silai School learners have become entrepreneurs in their own right.
With sewing becoming easily accessible and lucrative, the silai schools are also helping revive traditional motifs and designs.