Setu - Women Empowerment Program

Covid 19 and the subsequent lockdown brought with it Hunger and Migration for the daily wagers. Setu embarked on the Journey to provide rations to the needy and over the last 3 months covered over 12685 people covering 424984 Meals. We are thankful to corporates and individuals who supported Setu in this mission.

This was distributed in different areas namely, Arya Nagar Ghaziabad, Sector 68 Gari Chaukhandi, Sector 62, Sector 8 (near masjid), Sector -65 Bahlolpur, Sector-104 Hazipur, Sector 35 Morna, Vikas enclave Greater Noida, Agahpur sector 41, Atta sector 27, Harijan basti sector 37, and Sector 31 Nithari.

This support helped daily wage workers to sustain themselves in lockdown period and stopped them from migration in this difficult time.

Activities conducted during the lockdown period:

• Created Self-help group for mask making
• Online training of IT trainers by NIIT
• Online training  of beauty trainer by Pearl Academy
• Online classes
• Food distribution

Self-help Group: In spite of lockdown we started SHG for making mask with our existing students across all Setu centers. During this tough time sewing students continued their services and helped in creating face masks for housekeeping staff of a society and for community people. In the month of May and June ladies completed 2450 masks. They also earned while learning.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, our IT trainer were trained by NIIT foundation to make them able to take online classes of students. Beauty trainer also undergone online training conducted by Pearl Academy.  

Sewing online classes:  sewing trainers are taking their classes online. They are teaching pattern making and garments via whatsapp and zoom. They are monitoring self-help group and motivating others to join self-help.

Beauty Online class Trainers are teaching their beneficiaries by sending videos and zoom classes. Topics covered during this period are Mahanadi classes, hair styling and makeup.  

IT online class:  IT students are getting training via Google classroom. Students get assignments and tests via this app. Trainers also use zoom for taking classes.

Placements and Sucess : In the past three months we were able to place 45 students across Setu Skill centers. Mostly IT students got placed at different entry level jobs.

Swati always wanted to become independent and help her family for betterment. So, she enrolled herself for sewing course so that she can learn basic concepts and equipment used in her profession which is important for finding a good job. After successful completion of sewing course from SETU. She works as Tailoringat Homein shopand earns Rs 5000/Month.

Her Husband is a Shopkeeper. Her family’s annual income is Rs. 98,000/- which is insufficient to fulfill the basic need of a family of 4 members. She always wants to improve her family’s financial condition. So she joined this course. Her family income increased by 61%.

Rekha always wanted to help her family for betterment. So, she joined Sewing course to learn basic concepts and equipment’s used in her profession which is important for finding a good job. After successful completion of course she started working. Currently she is working as Receptionistat AnitaChildren Hospitaland earns Rs 8000/Month.

Her Father works as Auto Driver. Her family’s annual income is Rs. 1,10,000/- which is insufficient to fulfill the basic need of a family of 5 members. She always wants to improve her family’s financial condition. So she joined this course. Her annual family income increased by 76%.

Activities at Skill Center

Dear Readers

This quarter January to March 2021 was cut short by COVID 19, despite this we were able to meet our commitments to our stake holders. During this period 532 students were certified across various Vocational courses across all our Centres - at Jaipur 121, in Nithari 210 and at Sadarpur 201. We also had record placements in the curtailed period 148 in total. We also played an active role in providing food to people affected by COVID 19

During the Quarter we had many Activities and Celebrations

-          New project at Special center

-          Tree plantation drive

-          Guest lectures

-          Sewing Competition

-          Ration Distribution to Needy during Covid -19

New project at PDW center: Our endeavour is to upskill our people with special need so that they become self-dependent. In collaboration with Society for Child Development we started a project on incense stick making at our PWD center. Students are learning this new skill with full enthusiasm and dedication.

Paper bag making activity was also carried out and the students were taught how to make paper bags from newspaper and handmade paper.

Tree Plantation drive: With an aim was to make OUR Special Needs Students aware of enviroment and about seasonal and permanent plants, a plantation drive was organised at the PWD center. Senior management members were involved with special needs students and encorgared them while tey also enjoyed the environment created by the students.

The Special need students also Visit to Noida Flower show andparticipated in card making activity at Noida flower show.    Republic day was celebrationon 26th Jan 2020and Students from Skill center participated in republic day celebration at Nithari location. Saraswati Puja celebrationwas also organised across all vocational skill center of Setu

Guest Lectures : During Quarter Guest lectures were organised for the vocation skill students at our vocational Learning Centres.

Guest Lecture Session for Beauty Students: On 13^th Jan Ms Savita from Jove Conscious Foundation took a session on haircut and hair styling. Student learnt about the step style of haircut which was a new learning experience for them.

Youth Leadership Program: Setu along with Creatnet launched a Youth Leadership Program for the students of vocational Skills. The first batch started in March 2020 and shall be extended slowly to all students. This is a six month project in which they will be trained to take up leadership roles for their community.

Carrier Counselling Session: At Sadarpur Center, Joint Director of NCS, took session on Career opportunities in various sectors. In another session taken by Dr. Shri Vidya students shared their area of interest and were given guidance how they can decide on what should be their professional career. In addition Employee Engagement Programme was conducted by Mr. Hari Verma   Associate Manager from Barista took the session and he shared opportunities at Barista. The Centre team at Jaipur team got an opportunity to attend a talk show with Papa CJ and Punit Modhgil. At the Career Counselling Session in Nithari Mr Mohit from NIIT took session on job opportunities and another session was taken by Mr Pradeep, Team Leader at Cognizant Technologies for IT students.

Ear Check-up camp: Ear checkup camp was organized for all beneficiaries with the help of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of speech and hearing disabilities. They covered all students and employees of Setu at Nithari

Food distribution during Covid -19: Which all of us in India were practicing social distancing during the lockdown period, thousands of daily wagers ran out of funds to buy basic needs. The Govt. was fighting many battles across India, Nonprofits contributed towards welfare of needy. Setu also stepped in and started with providing dry ration on the basis of need shared by students of skill courses at Sadarpur and Nithari Centres.

 Success Stories :     

Meet Neeraj – a Fashion Designer

Neeraj is married woman, belongs to a family of 5 where woman’s career is not important, however she always wanted to become self-dependent and take up her family responsibilities. She enrolled and successfully completion of 4 months FD which helped her take up a job and she is now earninf Rs 10,500/- per month.

Neeraj is a hardworking and keen learner this bought out a drastic changes in her life style after getting job. She is able to support her family considering that her husband who is jobless due to his ongoing health issues. She is now able to fulfill her family’s daily needs, she is no more dependent on her sons and feels super proud to be financial self-dependent. Her job also helped her in boosting her confidence and now she can go anywhere alone and do all her work herself. She even takes her husband to the hospital alone for regular checkups. In her own words – “I cannot thank SETU enough for changing my life and making me capable enough to take care of family, I am very happy that my dream has come true”

and

Annu an Insurance Agent

Annu lives in Village. Her father works as a driver and he earns Rs 15000 per month. She always wanted to be independent and help her family and make her parents proud by doing well in life. While she was pursuing graduation 1^st year from School of Open Learning, she joined a 3 month vocational Skilling course Computer at Setu and on completion got a job. She works with Max Life Insurance as an agent where she currently earning Rs. 10000 per month. Annu feels that she has become more focused and career oriented after attending the Skill Course and getting a job. She was very regular during her training period & now she is maintaining this regularity at her workplace as well.