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Usha Partners With CRPF Family Welfare Association To Upskill Women

Usha Partners With CRPF Family Welfare Association To Upskill Women

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), one of the world's largest paramilitary forces is responsible for a variety of internal security and law enforcement duties in India. It serves in counter-insurgency operations and sensitive conflict zones. While the men and women are away on the call of duty, the CRPF Family Welfare Association (CWA), plays a vital role in providing a support structure to the families of these brave personnel.

Also Read: Usha And Army Wives Welfare Association Transforming Lives Through Vocational Training

Among the aims and objectives of the CRPF Family Welfare Association is to skill the CRPF wives and give them a sense of accomplishment. It is this common objective that brought CRPF and Usha together for a valuable partnership.

Talking about establishing a strategic partnership with the Indian Armed Forces and CRPF, Mary Rupa Tete, Vice President of Usha Social Services said,

The collaboration focuses on sewing training for the wives of army personnel as well as women residing in the border areas, empowering them with the essentials of sewing and stitching. Thereby offering them an alternate means of livelihood to earn for their families.

This skill development program is now a rewarding partnership at 12 locations, one of them being the CRPF's base in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 40-50 women underwent an assessment programme following which 15 of them were selected for sewing training. USHA provided one of its best trainers to further train these 15 women.

Also Read: Making Women Self-Reliant Through Usha-Common Service Centre Certification

Pravati Khuntia, Sewing School Inspectress explained,

These 15 women had some knowledge of stitching, and were given advanced training. The course material was designed accordingly for them. The training was provided on advanced machines, like the RSM machine and UJ machine. We focused more on uniforms, and ladies' garments, designer blouses, frocks and salwar suits.

Along with this, women were taught how to make items of home furnishing, like cushion covers and bags.

The CRPF Family Welfare Association in partnership with USHA provided a sewing machine to each of the women here. This was an advanced level production training of the selected Silai heroes and for 15 days they followed a set syllabus with targets and goals to be achieved and a level of proficiency to be attained. Since the inception of this training programme, every year 15 women have been trained in this manner. So far, in three phases, Usha in association with CWA has trained 546 women in 19 Group centres. And in the current phase of training, 14 new centres are being opened to train 252 women across India.

Also Read: Usha Silai App - Teaching Women The Art Of Stitching And Sewing

Talking about Usha's partnership with CRPF, Ms Khuntia said,

Our journey with the CRPF has been exceptional, since the start. The women coming here for training seem interested, and it feels good to see that. The aim is to enhance the sewing skills of trainees in making ladies' garments and stitching CRPF uniforms to the level of perfection.

The women of CRPF are learning a new thing each day. For some, the training has been a utilisation of spare time while for others it has presented an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Sujata Khandayatrai gets free from household chores by 10 o'clock. She uses her leisure time to stitch and sew. Similarly, Nirupama Parida, one of the trainees from Usha Silai School in Bhubaneswar utilises her spare time in stitching. She said,

I get a lot of free time. When the men are not at home, we are idle, and it gets very boring. My children have grown up, so in my spare time, I thought of stitching. There is no point wasting one's time with mobile phones, or chatting here and there. It's better to stitch something.

This is not the only centre. The CRPF in partnership with USHA has established training and production centres in 19 different CRPF bases for the wives and widows of CRPF personnel. So far 543 women have been trained and certified from various centres in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu, to name a few.

With the partnership between the CRPF and Usha growing in strength and numbers, there will be more stories of hope and empowerment that will continue to unfold here.

Also Read: In Odisha's Rourkela, Women Are Stitching A Life Of Financial Independence With Usha

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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.

About the Initiative

About the Initiative

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.

 

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In Pics

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching
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.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School has empowered many rural women to support their family and send their children to school.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

The Usha Silai School, established in a small nondescript village that goes by the name of Kottai, is helping empower people from varied communities.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

The all-inclusive Usha Silai School Programme covers the entire nation from hamlets tucked between hills to villages cast by the sea.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

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.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School learner Lucy has trained seven other women in her community, helping them to become financially independent.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

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Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Usha Silai School, in association with a Gujarat based NGO called Kala Raksha, is trying to bring about a Silai revolution in Bhuj.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

Besides training other women from their community, many Usha Silai School learners have become entrepreneurs in their own right.

Kushalta ke Kadam: Aiming for Independence Through Stitching

With sewing becoming easily accessible and lucrative, the silai schools are also helping revive traditional motifs and designs.