This project aims to equip 40 severely disadvantaged girls in Sarberia, a village in rural West Bengal, with the knowledge and skills needed to earn a decent income for themselves, setting them on a path to financial independence free from poverty. Building on earlier successes, the project will provide the girls expert training in tailoring of garments in demand, and support them with the fabrics and materials needed to begin producing quality products for sale in regional markets.
Girls in Sarberia village face substantial prejudice in simply going to school to attain the basic qualifications needed to access dignified employment as they become young women. Education of girls isn't a priority in the community, with early marriage a too-common story. This has a devastating impact on their whole lives, as they become financially dependent or scrape by as neglected daily-wage earners, and often face domestic abuse stemming from economic pressures.
The girls will participate in hands-on tailoring workshops, focused on dressmaking. The training, held at New Life Centre in Sarberia, will cover tailoring techniques, materials, garment designs, and safe usage of sewing machines. The project will provide the girls with an initial tranche of fabrics to help get them started in their new livelihood. By project end, the girls will be able to make dresses for sale at regional markets, providing regular income towards financial independence.
The project will help equip 40 girls with the knowledge and skills to be self-employed, generating stable income from tailoring. The trained girls are expected to share their new skills with family members, significantly widening the project's impact beyond the direct beneficiaries. The income generated will enable families to purchase diversified food supporting improved nutritional health, as well as other vital items towards meeting basic needs and lifting families out of poverty.
