At the Nari Niketan in Kota, a home for women in distress, people are eager to step in for an unusual class- a stitching class, run by a woman whose story is in itself an inspiration, Reena. The 28-year-old has been living in the Nari Niketan in Kota, Rajasthan for seven years mainly because she has nowhere else to go. The district administration has discovered her on the road, abandoned and pregnant, and sent her to the Nari Niketan.
Ms. Reena is speech and hearing impaired. Therefore, she could never communicate to the authorities where she came from and how she found herself in kota pregnant and alone , or whether she had any family at all. Perhaps it is Ms Reena's way of forgetting a painful past. But with the USHA Silai school training, she has a new future - a future of hope, a future where she has been trained with a skill that gives her opportunities, a future where she can take care of her daughter, now 7-years-old.
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Nari Niketan Superintendent, Anshu Mendiratta informed that Ms. Reena was found by the police wandering around, abandoned and neglected.
The Additional District Magistrate (ADM) instructed that she be sent to me. When she got here, she was a few months pregnant and later gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Pritika. The daughter lives in the children's home of the trust. Since Ms Reena had talent, we got her trained through Sachetan and other different institutes. She was good at everything. She used to grasp things very quickly. At the same time, Sachetan offered a proposal for Usha International's mentor program, so we sent her there. She took that training which no doubt increased her confidence level.
Ms. Reena had basic sewing skills, and she was a quick learner and after getting special permission from the government she was allowed to be part of the USHA RKCL Silai school teachers training program for nine days. Now a master trainer herself, Ms. Reena began teaching other women and with the help of the government and the officials at Nari Niketan, she also started training inmates at the trust and the Balika Grah in stitching and sewing.
A Nari Niketan attendant, Anita Meghwal translated Ms. Reena response,
She is saying that she can't hear, but makes an effort to converse and can communicate with others through gestures.
Ms Meghwal said that initially, Ms Reena showed little interest, but when everyone supported her, she felt determined to complete the training and move forward.
We kept guiding her, we would give her things to do. She was trained and assigned work in the same way that children do homework. Then her work would be checked, and if she had made mistakes, she would be corrected by the ladies from USHA.
Ms. Reena earns a small income from the USHA Silai school and she plans to save it all for her daughter's future. Trainers from USHA and partners from the NGOs like Unnayan Samiti said that for the women of institutions like the Nari Niketan, having a skill and being empowered to earn a small income goes a long way in their recovery and rehabilitation.
Unnayan Samiti Secretary, Vijay Parashar said,
The women and girls who come here have reached a stage in life where they are cut off and isolated from society, from their families. When they are here, they could be mentally disturbed, or have completely lost their confidence. So, what do we do? We decided to connect them with the USHA Silai School. At USHA Silai School, the focus isn't just on sewing, but sewing is a medium to make them self-confident and bring change in their lives. If one has a skill, the self-belief will follow. If self-belief & confidence comes, then they will be able to improve their life in the future.
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USHA International regional manager, Mohan Lal said that society could only develop if every part of society was touched and every member was taken along. He further said,
We picked Nari Niketan this time because there are many girls and women here, who can be made employable, because employment brings confidence and confidence brings happiness. People who are a part of institutes like Nari Niketan, people who are considered different, who for years have been treated differently, how do we make all of them a part of the development process. So, we chose the skill that Silai school offers, which is sewing. The skills that they learn with us boosts their confidence and helps them to let go of past sorrows and pain.
Ms. Reena's students are also happy working with her. Her speech and hearing disability is not a barrier; in fact, she communicates with them perfectly and teaches them by demonstration. Speaking about the training classes, one of her students, Rajni, said that Ms. Reena measured and marked the fabric as a demonstration for students, and later followed up on their way of doing it.
She has taught us how to sew bags, purses and masks. She has taught us everything, Ms Rajni added.
The women under Ms. Reena's guidance make a variety of items from bags to jewellery , masks and other knick knacks. The Nari Niketan has tied up with an NGO to design and market these. Besides, the focus is also on reusing waste and recycling it.
Bharti Gaur, Member of Kota's Sachetan Sanstha said,
Whatever products were made, our objective was that they should have a qualitative engagement, so we started that way. The speed of making products increased gradually and they were made with beautiful finish. More and more girls were also getting involved, so we started marketing the products through our annual exhibitions.
Ms. Reena may be speech and hearing impaired , but she has skills and dexterity that few others possess. A winner of many yoga competitions, Ms. Reena and her daughter have made the Nari Niketan their home , simply because they have nowhere else to go. But with the USHA Silai school training, she has taken one step into an outside world.
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