By Tasneem Sara | Project Leader
With women constituting 48% of the overall population in India, there is an acute need to build & promote entrepreneurial skills among them so as to make them self reliant. AWAG addresses the issue by providing deprived women & domestic violence victims with Skill Training in Sewing. This project equips victimized women in India with competent sewing skills. It also provides each woman with her own sewing machine, thereby enabling her to achieve economic self reliance & lead a life of dignity.
Jaimi aged 22 years lives with her mother in Hanumanpura ni Chali. She lost her father at a young age and due to their poor condition she had to leave her studies. She and her mother struggled a lot to run a grain store for a living. Jaimi had aspired to pursue fashion designing but could not do so due to her household circumstances. Her mother however bought her a used sewing machine and Jaimi would do some basic stitching and repair work on it. She was very disheartened and upset about not being able to pursue her studies and her dreams.
When AWAG's training centre started functioning , she grabbed the opportunity and enrolled herself in the course. She was very happy to learn one thing after another and saw this as a means to fulfill her dream of pursuing fashion designing. Jaimi completed the course at Bapunagar centre. In these months of training she has now learnt how to sew designer blouses, dresses, evening gowns and now undertakes orders for sewing such apparel.
Through this she comfortably earns Rs. 4000-5000/- a month and when the work load increases she ropes in other women from her training batch. She quotes her stitching charges as per the type of material and depending on the urgency of the garment. With the quality work that she delivers, she has earned a name for herself.
Today, Jaimi and her mother are leading a better life for which she is thankful to Global Giving.
Hema aged 23 years resides at Bapunagar. She faced a lot of harassment from her husband and in-laws. Soon after her marriage itself her husband often threatened to leave her saying that she was useless and good for nothing. He was even involved in an extramarital affair.
Hema heard about the Sewing Classes at AWAG but her husband refused to let her join it. Though she herself was initially not much interested in sewing, but given the situation at her home, Hema realized that learning sewing would serve as a good opportunity to earn an income and live independently if such a need arose. This belief of hers was further strengthened when she attended a meeting on gender violence at AWAG and gained courage and enrolled for it much against her husband's wishes.
In her words, 'As the days went by, I gathered a lot of courage and confidence and also learnt a lot at the Training Centre. On completion of the course I started getting job work from AWAG's Production Centre and so also from local traders. My husband realized that AWAG is a women's organization, so he also would think twice before telling me anything. I am happy that I earn and have even started saving some money for a better future.'\
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