Empowering Women – Stitch by Stitch

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More so critical after long lock-down period, in an area of helping tribals to earn livelihood, we have taken up project of empowering women – by way of teaching them stitching/ embroidery skills. 45 females from Janathepada responded to our propositions to learn some skills while they are at home – post sowing of rice in their farm. Relatively lull period 8-10 weeks was planned to be used for improving a skill, which can effectively be useful to women of Janathepada to even earn livelihood subsequently.

On immediate basis, Suhrid Foundation, through our donors, delivered 4 sewing machines. Our on-the-ground support and volunteer in Janathepada, Kusum Tai, is leading the initiative. She being a trained in tailoring herself, have taken up a task to train these 45 women.

Janathepada is traditionally known to be little more enthusiastic in taking up any project. This turned out to be really so. With 45 females, and just 4 machines, it was a tough challenge to manage training. We provided a whiteboard for initial classroom sessions. Post those classroom sessions, females needed to make batches to use the machines for learning. Not all were required to be trained from scratch. There were 2-3 supporting females who had used sewing machines in the past, who additionally guide all others who are new to sewing. Along with their help, Kusum Tai took up a task of training 45 of them. They formulated multiple batches of 4-5 females and usage of sewing machines had started 8am in the morning till almost 7pm in evening.

This initiative had formally started from 16th of Aug 2021.  In 6 weeks now, some of the females have reached to a level of stitching frocks for their kids or even blouse for themselves and which we feel is a good progress.

Additionally, in these 6 weeks, we also trained these females about basic embroidery. Sewing, along with embroidery, can help them make creative artifacts.

Once adequately trained, these females can take up basic work related to stitching eco-friendly cloth bags, uniform for kids in school, frocks from young girls, masks, even local apparel for village folks, etc. Some job-work from locally in Vikramgad or from Mumbai, can help earn while being at home. While we have these machines kept at one place and are common among all, we intend to help them get their own machine which government provides as a part of women empowerment or even buy their own with support from us.

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