For 10 years the USHA Silai School programme has been teaching women across India how to be self-reliant and independent. With the livelihood skills taught by the programme, more than 8 lakh women, from almost 16,000 villages across the country, have learnt how to fight prejudices, how to run businesses, how to earn & look after their own money, how to take care of their families' needs, how to be productive & participatory, and how to realise their own potential. Silai school women are now emerging as change catalysts of their communities, willing to make a difference and act against prevailing social issues. Here is the story of one such change makers - Gudiya Devi, a member of Gond tribe of Munga Dih village of Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) – who became the Head of her Gram (village) Panchayat and is now influencing village development through her office.
A popular figure in her community, Ms Devi, who is one of the Swavalmban Silai School Teacher, started a Silai school in her village on October 20, 2020. In 2021, Ms Devi became the Pradhan (Head) of her village Panchayat by defeating her opponent by 45 votes in the panchayat election. She was selected as one of the few gram pradhans with whom Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath interacted through a virtual meeting in May 2021. In the meeting, Ms Devi shared her plan for the social and economic development of her village.
The new role and responsibility of Gram Pradhan taken by Gudia Devi, have earned respect from her family and between Silai School teachers. But her journey was not smooth and was full of challenges. As a child, Ms Devi and her family faced economic challenges as her parents were very poor who worked as labourers on other people's farms. She was married off to a small farmer Hari at a young age. Both Hari and Ms Devi worked hard on the small land they had and from time to time, during the off-season, Hari used to go to cities to work as labour. Ms Devi soon found out that her husband was cheating on her with another woman. Ms Devi then became a victim of abuse and domestic violence. As the incidences of violence against her increased, she left her in-laws' house and returned to her parents' house.
My father did not have the money so he said he cannot educate me, but I wanted to study. A teacher from a nearby school suggested that my father admit me and pay the fees later. I studied for 3 years from 6 to 8, but we didn't have school nearby and no money to travel by bus, also there was no bus service available. After passing High School my father told me he had no money to educate me further. After studying I did not have any work, so I learned stitching in a private class & started stitching clothes for people around my village. That's when we were called to Banwasi Sewa Ashram by USHA, said, Ms Devi while talking about her journey.
Through an NGO, Banwashi Sewa Ashram, Ms Devi got to know that USHA with the support of SIDBI Bank established Swavalamban Silai Schools in Sonbhadhra district. She participated in a nine-day residential training at the school established in her village in October 2020 where she learnt about fashion, sewing machine installation, repair and maintenance and also got 2 days of Life Skill training. Along with the training lessons, she also received one Sewing Machine, one signage board, one syllabus book, one service manual, and a teacher's certificate. This was a step towards a new beginning for her. She opened her own Silai school and started training other women.
According to Shubha Prem, Secretary, Banwasi Sewa Ashram, Sonbhadra, the Silai School program that they started with USHA International does not end only at training and providing machines to girls and women. She said,
Along with making them self-sufficient, we have created an environment in the village that shows this is not just any program by some company but platform for girls of the village.
Ms Devi, who now owns two sewing machines, is currently teaching seven learners. She charges Rs. 200 per month as the fee from each learner and Rs.50 as an admission fee. She is now earning over Rs.5,000 per month from her school and her stitching work.
Ms Devi's journey from empowering herself to empowering others is an inspiring example of how skill training can help women in rural areas. For one of her learners, Salma, Ms Devi's Silai school played a very important role as she is now able to contribute to her family's better health, education and earnings.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Devi conducted awareness programs for her community along with stitching masks and distributing the essentials to the needy. Because of the encouragement and training received at the USHA Silai School, Ms Devi now has her own identity as gram pradhan, trainer, motivator, and counsellor. As Gram Panchayat head, Ms Devi has assured the people of her area that she will fight till the end to bring facilities for higher education, and facilities for water and health to the village. Appreciating the efforts of Ms Devi and many other women like her, Rupa, Vice President, USHA Social Services said,
USHA started the silai school program way back in 2011 so it has been more than a decade of work that has gone into the field. These women actuallzy feel more strengthened now because of the empowerment process. They are also able to voice their opinion against a lot of social issues, social evils.
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