Eight years ago USHA Silai School set on a journey to make women from marginalised communities self-sufficient. Over the years, the program has received support in various forms from people across the country. With the increasing public and private partnership, USHA has only grown and reached to different parts of the country. The partnerships have taken USHA to villages of Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

To enhance the skills of women, USHA has been working with thousands of women across the country. But unlike in other places, the training in the north and northeastern states go beyond stitching. As part of the USHA Silai School Program, the women in these states get mechanical training wherein they learn to repair sewing machines which is usually considered as a man's job. As the women of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Manipur get mechanical training, an additional skill set that is helping then earn additional income by putting their knowledge to use, we bring to you some of the success stories.

In 2012, USHA launched first Silai School in West Bengal, India's fourth-most populous state and by 2017 the program's success caught the attention of the West Bengal Scheduled Caste And Tribe Development Finance Corporation, which led to the life-changing initiative for thousands of women.

With 17,000 Silai Schools, Usha Silai School program has upskilled and empowered over 3 lakh women across 9,000 villages of India. Now, the program has reached remotest islands and villages of India. Here is a story of four empowered women from Sundarbans, Lakshadweep, and Andaman, driven by the ambition to change their lives and find their purpose enriched.

Since 2012, USHA has established 206 Silai Schools in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, each of which is helping change the lives of women. Considering the immense talent in Kashmir, in 2018, USHA Silai Label set up a garment design and production cluster in Srinagar. The Kashmir cluster has been a game changer for the women of the valley. Today, the women have reached the city of dreams, Mumbai, to showcase their work and walk the ramp of Lakme Fashion Week 2019.

It's the verdict time! Fighting all odds, women from Kashmir cluster have prepared samples for ace designer Rohit Bal. With the samples now in the designer's studio, it is the judgment time. Rohit Bal will be giving feedback on samples. Will the creators of the garment clear Rohit Bal's test to take centre stage at the Lakme Fashion week 2019?

The charm of Kashmir's picturesque lakes, snow-capped mountains, and lush forests is matched by the richness of its cultural heritage. From handicrafts to the exquisite pashminas, the valley boasts a rich history of arts and crafts passed on through generations and yet the state and its craftsmen are yet to realise their full potential. In an attempt to tap into this immense pool of talent, in the year 2018, the USHA Silai Label set up a garment design and production cluster in Kashmir.

Within 7 years, with 17,000 schools, spanning over 9000 Indian villages, the USHA Silai School has trained over 3.5 lakh rural women. In 2018, the garments made by the women from these schools, under the guidance of four designers were showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week. Since then their life has been transformed with the clothes now selling under the Silai Label at multi-brand outlet in Delhi.

2006 Noida serial murders shook the entire country, especially the men and women of Nithatri, who fear stepping out of their houses putting their lives on a perpetual pause. But USHA Silai School came as a ray of hope and provided them with a safe source of living.

West Bengal, India's fourth most populous state, is home to 91 million people, a fifth of which are poor. While people there were trying to make ends meet, USHA Silai School came in as a ray of hope for the underprivileged men and women in the eastern state of India.

With an aim to empower women, USHA Silai School makes effort to widen its reach and expand to every corner of India. With this thought as its driving force, the USHA Silai School programme has opened up an opportunity for women in Nagaland by starting a showroom cum sales center in Dimapur.

Along with reviving the traditional craft and providing employment opportunities to the underprivileged women all over India, USHA Silai School programme is providing sewing training to underprivileged men also. The latest extensions aim to help rural households in India improve their earnings.

Eight selected USHA Silai School women entrepreneurs got a chance to learn and work under the guidance of different designers. Designers Soham Dave, Sayantan Sarkar, Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav, and Sreejith Jeevan along with USHA Silai School women curated a collection for Lakme Fashion Week 2018.

In 2015, the government of Andhra Pradesh partnered with Berkeley University to launch the ‘Smart Villages Mission' and the sleepy village of Mori emerged as Andhra Pradesh's first smart village. Later, government partnered with corporations like USHA International to create employment opportunities in the villages and curb migration.

Santosh Kumwat and Sunita Devi Kumawat from Jaipur are two of the eight selected USHA Silai School women entrepreneurs, who got a chance to learn and work under the guidance of designers - Amit Trivedi and Richard Pandav to launch a clothing line at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018.

Some of the Usha Silai School women, chosen from four regions of the country, went through an assessment. Then a select few got to work on the production of a clothing line, under their fashion designer mentors. These women were then flown to Mumbai to display their collection at the trendiest event on the year - the Lakme Fashion Week.

Bhagwanta Bai from Madhya Pradesh was forced to become a manual scavenger after her marriage by her in-laws. Unable to bear prejudices and ill-treatment from the society she decided to build a new life with skills of stitching and sewing

Jermegini, 26, had moved to India in 1990 due to the civil war in Sri Lanka. While in India, she stayed in a refugee camp at Kudiyatham in Vellore and learned basics of stitching and sewing. It was this skill that Usha Silai School later honed and helped her build a life from scratch in her home country.

Married to an opium addict, when she barely 15, Gomi Devi, lived a hard life with no stable source of income. When she had her first child at 16, she realised that she needed to find a job and become financially independent. At this juncture, Usha Silai School helped her take control of her life.

Haunted by the infamous 2006 serial killings in Noida's Nithari village, Rubina Begum and Soni's life had come to a standstill. Tired of constantly living in fear, both of them discovered the Usha Silai School programme and underwent training for seven days.

Madhya Pradesh's Kanha Tiger Reserve which is one of the most popular national parks is home to numerous tribal communities and villages. Livelihood of majority of the residents depends on the forest resources. There are not too many alternative sources of income available. To overcome this problem, The Corbett Foundation (TCF) tied up with the USHA International Limited to create employment opportunities for women.

Phuliya Bai and Rekha Rahangdale joined the Usha Silai programme and soon they turned entrepreneurs and started their own training schools to teach stitching to other women.

Life may not be easy for women living in the interiors of India, especially if the women is trying to live independently and run a household on thier own. But these four women have made it possible. Residing in different corners of the country, the stories of these women are inspiring as they took their destiny in to their own hands, in the hope that their life will be as vibrant as the colorful threads they use for stitching.

After getting training under the Usha Silai School programme for seven days, Lajjawati and Poonam, both from a remote part of Uttar Pradesh, started their own sewing training centres. Both these women have gained respect of their fellow villagers for their hard work and stitching skills

Three inspiring stories of women in Maharashtra's Dhule district who changed their own lives and lives of other women with one small step.