Empower 100 Pakistani Women through Sewing Skill

Teacher Name: Komal Waqas

Total Students:25

Venue: Chak# 354 JB Qadirabad, Punjab, Pakistan

Area profile:

1. Total Population of Ch# 354JB Qadirabad: 1,100 families

• Muslim Families:         950
• Christian Families:      150

1. Occupation:  Mostly laborers

The opening ceremony of the Sewing Center was held on 7^th May 2018 at Ch# 354JB Qadirabad Tehsil Gojra.  Most of the girls and women in these sewing centers are house maids or belong to the families of domestic servants.

In the first phase, 25 girls and women enrolled in the Sewing Center. Many more girls and women showed interest in enrolling,but due to financial constraints, the Society for Human Development was able to provide only four sewing machines. Thanks to a USD 254 donation from the Women’s Group of Christ our Light Church and Global Giving, an additional four sewing machines will be purchased.  Donations permitting, the Society for Human Development will open more sewing centers and purchase more sewing machines to train more girls and women.

Few of the beneficiaries expresses their feelings

“My name is Shumaila and I live in Ch# 354JB Qadirabad. I have three sons andd two daughters. Myhusband works as a mason and earns Rs. 650 a day (about USD 6 a day) when he is able to find work. I know that SHD is running a sewing centre in our villages where girls learn cutting and sewing. I got admission in a sewing centre and I regularly attend the sewing classes. Now my dreams are coming true that after the completion of the sewing course, I will be able to sew dresses and support my family"

Another beneficiary Sonia said " 

 “I live in Ch# 354JB Qadirabad. I have three sons and one daughter. My husband works in the brick factory and his income hardly meets our daily needs.  We cannot afford the school expenses ofour children.“”     It’s my dream that I can do something for my family.” She added that “after the completion of the one year sewing course, I will be able to sewat the household level & earn Rs.2000 to Rs.3250 per month (USD 18 to 30 per month) and support my family. I will be able to earn something and be able to afford my children’s school expenses. Now I am very happy and thankful to the Society for Human Development Staff team.”

One more beneficiary shared her feelings:

“My name is Mehwish and I am 17 years old. I live in Ch# 354 J.B Qadrabad Gojra. I have two brothers and one sister.  My brothers are older than I am. I have reached the 10^th class (grade) but cannot continue my studies because of poverty and laboring with my parents on bricks kiln to meet our daily needs. One day I saw the Society for Human Development Team members cometo visit our village. I was very excited when they told that they want to open a sewing center in our area for illiterate women and young girls of the workers to get training from this center and raise the income of their families.Now I am the part of this sewing centre and I am attending and learning sewing, cutting and stitching skills.It helps to earn Rs.2000 to Rs.3250 per month (USD 18 to 30 per month) and support my parents.”

Komal is the sewing teacher of the sewing center.She got a diploma from a vocational training center. She said that when she was in school and successfully completed her matriculation exams, she wanted to go for Higher Education andachieve a respected Master’s degree.  “My ambition was to be a teacher. I was from poor family and my father was not in a position to support my further schooling and due to some other concerns, I was unable to continue my education.  But my ambition was to educate girls that can’t get an education or don’t have access to resources for learning. When I got married and settled in this impoverished area, Ch #354JB Qadirabad, that created a new opportunity for me to educate girls in sewing and handicraft. The education facilities here are near zero especially in females.

 My spirit was still alive inside me to educate the children that have little or no access to education, but the concern was to establish a platform where I could get started. When the Society for Human Development was conducting an assessment survey in our area of Ch# 354JB for a Sewing Center and their female workers were getting information from our area’s women group (including me), then I expressed my vision to educate the female villagers about sewing, handicraft and Health Hygiene Conditions, where I could serve as a teacher.  This center is providing skills of tailoring and embroidery to generate their own sources of income for betterment of their living standard. Now these females are working in their homes for various garments outlets and retail shops and giving financial support to their families.

Thanks to the Society for Human Development, more than 25 females are learning sewing, cutting and handicrafts which they can sell and earn a good amount for their home.  Through this, women are gaining self-reliance and self-confidence. With increasing self-reliance of women who are becoming more confident and independent, they have successfully improved their quality of life and upgraded their skills. An indication of social change is the increasing number of income-generating activities being controlled by women.”

Program Introduction:

The Program started with the collaboration of Global Giving. The main objectives of the program are:

1.  Training for staff capacity building.
2.  Cutting, sewing and sizing.
3.  Stitching clothes.
4.  Knitting &embroidery.
5.  Marketing