USHA's First Residential Training Programme In Kargil Gave Birth To 25 Silai Schools In Ladakh

Kargil is much more than just a theatre of war. Amidst the apricots and apples, walnuts and freshly brewed kahwa, a group of women is preparing to start their day with their best smiles. The women have just been through the USHA Silai school's first residential training program in Kargil. The nine-day-long Swavalambhan Residential Capacity-Building Program covered all aspects of machine repairing, stitching, and life skills. Talking to NDTV about the programme, Santosh Sukhdev, District Magistrate, Kargil said,

As you know, there was a time when Kargil and Ladakh were quite cut-off because of the weather. For six months in a year, the weather made these areas inaccessible. Because of the lack of exposure, people did not have an understanding of the world outside of Kargil. The women here weren't involved in decision-making because of their traditional and conservative culture. Given how this training program has been organised, each woman will open her Silai School and train 20 women in a year. So, if these 25 women train 20 women each, 500 women will have been trained in a year. If these women further train other women, then these skills will reach 10,000 women by next year. I truly believe it is very important for women to be economically independent. It empowers them by enhancing their confidence and decision-making ability.

Tribal women, with their inherent talent, have abundant creativity - all of which is overlooked and buried due to a lack of opportunities. Given the remote nature of the location and the relative lack of exposure, the women were hesitant in expressing themselves and presenting their work. USHA and SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) took it upon themselves to bring these women out of their villages and upskill them, in addition to teaching them soft skills.

Aqila Akhtar, a Trainee at USHA Silai School said,

I would do a little stitching earlier but not as much as I have learnt here. Ma'am taught us how to make shirts, kurtas, skirts, and a lot more. I found the soft skills training to be the most interesting. That really gave our confidence a boost. The soft skills classes have given us enough confidence to empower us and make us self-sufficient.

Shayista Ayoub, State Manager, Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, USHA Social Services said that they have been working in Jammu Kashmir since 2018 and then moved to Ladakh where 24 Silai Schools were opened. She added,

Now our target was Kargil. This time, with the support of SIDBI and the Government Degree College Kargil, we planned and opened 25 schools. We want to provide women with opportunities to engage themselves in other sources of living and other skills so that they become independent.

Sameena Rasool, Master Trainer at USHA Silai School spoke about the importance of the project and said,

It is vital to empower tribal women because traditionally they have had limited access to the outside world. They spend their lives in villages, farming, with little knowledge of the outside world. They do not have televisions at home to keep them informed. When they came here and interacted among themselves, they enjoyed opening up in each other's company. When they would return to their hostel after the day's training, they would spend their time chatting and playing. 

Working with the tribal population comes with a fair set of challenges. How is USHA mitigating them? Mary Rupa Tete, Vice-President, of USHA Social Services said,

Tribal women have always been our focus. When these women stay in areas that are very difficult to reach, and have language and cultural barriers, we have made special efforts to reach out to them and have helped them open their own USHA Silai schools. We also ensure that these schools are sustained with the help of our implementing NGO partners who are present even in these remote, difficult-to-reach locations.

80 kilometres from Kargil lies the village of Parkachik. It is one of the many villages from where trainees arrived in Kargil to start their journey of entrepreneurship. Mansura is the first woman in her family to have left home and travelled outside for nine whole days. In a break from stereotypes and tradition, her in-laws and husband supported her decision to join the USHA Swavalambhan Silai School Program. Ever the introvert, Mansura was initially hesitant in speaking to her peers and clearing doubts about stitching. But her teachers and friends ensured that eventually, it became a very enjoyable experience for her.

Mansura, a Trainee at USHA Silai school shared her daily routine and aspirations and said,

There are seven people in my family. I spend my time farming, I take the cattle for grazing. I cook for the family early in the morning, then I take the cattle out. I return home around 7 and finish off daily chores like cleaning the house. Then, if there is any time left, I do some stitching. I want to open a really big Silai school in my village so that the girls living here can benefit from it.

As Mansura returned to the village, her friends rushed to help her with setting up the machine. In the tradition of the Purig tribe that Mansura is from, the head of the family offered prayers to God, and inaugurated the special occasion. Mansura is a woman of ambition now, determined to pass on her skills to the stitching enthusiasts of Parkachik.

The societal values of Ladakh have leaned more towards a conservative culture with minimal female participation in day-to-day decision making activities. With changing times, increased exposure, education, and training programs such as USHA's, women are actively participating in a cultural exchange of ideas. This only strengthens their entrepreneurial skills.

Mansura's role is no longer limited to taking cattle for grazing. She is no longer only the woman in the background who prepares Nun Chai for her family in the morning and sweeps the house once they have all left. Mansura has blossomed into a full-scale entrepreneur in her nine days of training. She is a woman on a mission – to leave her stamp in her community, teaching young girls to be self-sufficient like her.