USHA-Shyam Metalics Provides Skill Development To Women In West Bengal And Odisha

Jamuria is a rural belt in West Bengal's Asansol-Durgapur industrial region. Coal fields, iron and heavy industries, and even steel plants dot the landscape.The Asansol-Durgapur Industrial Region is the nerve centre of the West Bengal economy as well as the entire economic region of Eastern India due to its enormous reservoir of excellent quality coal from the Raniganj Coalfield.There is an abundance of skilled and cheap labour in close proximity.

The establishment of a number of large industrial units like the Durgapur Steel Plant, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Durgapur Alloy Steel Plant, Durgapur Thermal Power Station, and hundreds of medium- and small-scale industries have made the region a great industrial belt, second only to the Hooghly industrial belt in West Bengal.

Also Read: People With Disabilities Grace USHAs Mallakhamb Event In Villupuram, Tamil Nadu

In Jamuria, one of the prominent industrial estates is that of Shyam Metalics, a leading integrated metal producing company in India. It focuses on Long Steel Products and Ferro Alloys. The plants at Jamuria provide job opportunities to hundreds from the nearby villages, but there is a lot more to it than just direct employment. Shyam Metalics aims to make a positive contribution, particularly to underprivileged communities, by supporting a range of socio-economic, educational, and health initiatives.

Through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, the company is trying to play a key role in women's empowerment in the region. The company has partnered with USHA International to establish a training and production centre (TCPC) in Jamuria.The centre is housed in one room of a high school in Jamuria's Bahadurpur. Through the collaboration, Shyam Metalics aims to make women more empowered, more confident, and more resilient. In this partnership project, USHA International renders technical services with its enriching skill and experience for planning, coordinating, and implementing the programme.

The collaboration is already kindling hope miles away from this centre.

Nearly 8 kilometres away is Alinagar village, where 32-year-old Suchitra Mondal is busy cooking for a joint family of 10 people. Ms. Mondal's husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law are all daily wagers. Some of them work in nearby factories. The women stay at home to take care of the children, but Suchitra , a mother of two girls, wants to be self-sufficient. Along with taking care of household work, she also wants to earn money and contribute to the family. The training cum production centre has brought her that hope. Ms. Mondal is among the women who are finishing their course at the centre. She said,

I had been contemplating doing something. So, I already had an USHA sewing machine at home and was familiar with basic sewing, but when I learned that a new batch would be starting at the training and production center, I thought it would be a good opportunity to hone my skills, so I discussed it with my family and they agreed.After that, I joined the USHA Silai School.

Ms. Mondal's family supports her in her new journey and is all praise for the efforts of Shyam Metalics and USHA International.

Also Read: USHA Silai School Teachers Head 'Satoliya' Teams For Sport Event In Heerapura, Rajasthan

Not only are the rural poor being helped, but this training and cum production centre in Jamuria is also empowering many women from tribal communities. One such lady is 24-year-old Sushma Dhangar from Dhasna village, which is in the vicinity of the Shyam Metalics plant. Her husband is a casual worker at the plant. The family of five earns very little money.To meet the needs, Ms. Dhangar has started training at the training cum production centre at Jamuria.

We have an acute financial crunch. That's why I have joined this sewing training, which is free for us. I hope to learn and earn through it. It's a good facility for the tribal women. We can earn money by sewing once we complete this course.

One of the key objectives of this centre is the development of tribal women residing in the area. USHA International and Shyam Metalics Foundation are eager to teach them sewing and stitching skills and provide them with a sustainable source of livelihood. Around 16 women have completed their training at the centre and have been given their certificates. Now, they can start to earn for themselves.

USHA will continue to support these women and give them access to master trainers, and the Shyam Metalics Foundation will continue to provide them with space for the production centre, raw materials, and logistics support as part of their CSR initiative. This post training help and support is key, acknowledges the team leader among the trainees.

One of the trainers at USHA Silai school, Munmun Roy, said,

The best part is that we have been taught professional finishing of the products. The focus of the training is on making them self-reliant. There have been some self-help groups here, and we have been a part of them. They informed us about the centre and I came here as the team leader. I also train others, and the focus is on their empowerment.

Also Read: USHA Master Trainer Reena - An Inspiration For Women Of Kota, Rajasthan

USHA International also shows the trainees previous success stories from the USHA Silai school and training centre as part of the training to inspire them. Each of the USHA training and production centres like this one is a central facility created for rural women to assemble, receive training in sewing and stitching, and also make products for the market. This model came into being in 2015. USHA International has ties with different NGOs and corporate and government partners, in different parts of India.

USHA International, Regional Manager, Saikat Naskerm, said that the company was working pan-India for the Silai school programmes and was focusing on livelihood generation and women's empowerment.

Therefore, there was a sync between the objectives of both the organisations. We sat down and tried to figure out what we were best at, and we decided to open two training and cum production centres in West Bengal and Odisha.

USHA International and Shyam Metalics Foundation are also running another training cum production centre in Odisha's Sambalpur. With 15 women being trained at this centre, once again the biggest beneficiaries are the tribal women of the industrial zones. USHA has been working towards uplifting the socio-economic status of rural women in India by creating entrepreneurship opportunities.

Through partnerships and collaborations, USHA is looking at endless possibilities for strengthening existing Silai School women entrepreneurs so that they earn more, become more self-reliant, and become capable of shaping a better future on their own by developing skills in other women. In Jamuria, the organisation has found an ideal partner - Shyam Metalics. With their special focus on rural and tribal women, the women themselves see a huge benefit.

Also Watch: USHA International Revives Siat Khnam, Meghalaya's Traditional Sport