Ms. Minaben and several other women in the villages will soon be a major driving force behind the USHA Silai Schools of the future. USHA created the Local Resource Person (LRP) model to establish a connection between the NGO partners, the beneficiaries, the Master trainers and the community at large
With the aim to empower women from marginalised communities, USHA Silai School has partnered with public and private sectors companies like Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO)
Madhya Pradesh's Kanha Tiger Reserve is one of the most popular national parks attracting many tourists buy at home does not have too many alternative sources of income available. 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.
Lajjawati had to suffer from acute poverty and had to battle with gender biases until she decided to learn stitching and empower herself
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.