USHA Silai Schools women eventually emerge as change catalysts, willing to make a difference and act against the prevailing social issues. They work as social activists and contribute towards the betterment of the community at large. Here is how three such women are making a difference by empowering others after empowering themselves.

With an aim to help the women from low-income families overcome their struggles, USHA Silai School partnered with NEEPCO (North Eastern Electric Power Corporation) - a power generation company in the North-Eastern region of the country, Dalmia Bharat Foundation- a not-for-profit organization under Dalmia Bharat Group and Alfa Laval- a Swedish Company found in 1883.

In 2011, USHA Silai School began with the aim of empowering rural women to become entrepreneurs and give sewing lessons in their respective communities. But over the years, the Silai School initiative has evolved and today it is not only limited to giving sewing lessons and a silai machine to women to open their own silai school, but also works towards contributing its bit in the conservation of the environment by promoting sustainability. In this season of Kushalta Ke Kadam, the USHA Silai School initiative joined hands with organisations in Ladakh and Maharashtra that work towards protecting environment and supporting local people.

Determined to uplift their economic condition and make a better future for themselves, the survivors of rape and trafficking in a district of Madhya Pradesh are fighting the stigma with the help of USHA Silai School. The Silai School initiative is not only helping them develop skills but is also encouraging them to becoming a symbol of hope and courage for others.

Under its Silai School initiative, USHA International Limited has been working towards empowering women from rural India and encouraging them to become entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities. In order to widen its efforts further, USHA has partnered with Public Sector Undertakings like Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) in Jharkhand and National Building Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC) in Odisha.

In the current season of Kushal Ke Kadam, USHA Silai School has collaborated with educational institutions like the University of Kashmir and Punjab University to help girls and women fulfil their dreams through skill development. The aim of the partnership is to equip girls and women with various techniques of stitching. Through this initiative, women are not only taking charge of their destiny but are also helping others become financially independent.

As USHA Silai School programme continues to create new opportunities for women in rural areas through skill development, it collaborated with autonomous government bodies like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Rajasthan and Punjab and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in Himachal Pradesh. Not only are the collaborations setting up new Silai Schools in these states, but these are also helping women set up sewing based enterprises at the village level.

Since its inception in 2011, USHA Silai School has been empowering women in the rural areas across the county by equipping them with the skill of stitching. This year, USHA International Limited strengthened its partnership with the state governments of Meghalaya and West Bengal with an aim to reach out to thousands of women and help them improve their lives.

The aim of USHA Silai School has always been to empower the vulnerable and provide them with a better source of livelihood. Keeping up with its motive, here is how the initiative has changed the life of 36-year-old Preeti Khushwaha, a resident of Mustafabad village of Bangarmau block in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. After training from the Silai school, not only did Preeti build a better life for herself and her family, but also helped over 1,500 women in and around her village to learn stitching and become financially independent.

With 23,265 USHA Silai Schools present in 12,858 villages across all states and Union Territories in the country, more than 6.7 lakh women have been able to enhance their skills. They have become empowered and financially independent. Here is how the initiative is helping those in need, during the COVID-19 pandemic.