Basanti Praja would rarely get some leisure from her household chores. She was not able to come out of her bread-and-butter struggle of everyday life. She was always worried about upbringing her two sons, managing their future education and other stuff. She passed just 8 class. So, she did not have any dreams of getting a job and standing on her own foot.
It was during 2068 VS. She heard SUS was forming a SHG to start saving a little money so that women can be self-reliant and develop their saving habits and solve various obstacles of everyday life. Once it was the 3rd month of her membership in Ekata Woman’s Group, SUS gave her training in tailoring. Basanti starts to attend the training once she finishes her household chores.
Once she finished the training, she had the skill of tailoring but she did not have a sewing machine. SUS gave 3500 rs as aid to buy a sewing machine. She added the same amount and bought a sewing machine for 7000 rs. Although she had a machine and skill of her own, the villagers were scared to offer her some work to sew new clothes. They were doubtful if the new clothes would worn out, if she could not sew nicely. But Basanti did not give up. She started to sew old clothes given by her neighbor. Gradually, the neighbors started to believe her. Then, she got works of sewing school dress and other clothes also given by people.
Once she started to earn a little money, she started to save 10 rs in her group. It was difficult for her to save 10 rs also. SUS saw her hard work and gave another upgraded training of tailoring. Then onwards, Basanti did not have to look under privilege.
Basanti developed her confidence, “I can sew clothes as people demand.” This led her to open a shutter in the market and start an entrepreneurship. She added two of her friends in the business who were trained by SUS. Thus, she started the business with her friends, who would together pay the rent and share the income. In their initial days, they got works of sewing school dress. Basanti would cut the clothes as per the size and two of her friends would sew. She would go to her shop once she finishes all her household chores in the morning. She would work the whole day and get back home again and finish kitchen work.
The work was going well. The district office of department of cottage and small industry (gharelu tatha sana udhyog karyala) decided to give sewing training under ward offices located in communities. Basanti had already learned the skill but she decided to attend the training again in greed of getting a government certificate. Once she attended the training, the government officials gave her the idea of registering the shop and running it in a more managed way. She attended the advanced level training given by the government.
Her training and confidence in work has helped her a lot in mounting her skill and confidence. Once she took two trainings given by the government, she became the best among many others. Then other government agencies, like the department of cottage and small industries, started to invite her as a trainer. She conducted training as a trainer going to Ikshya Kamana Gaunpalika, Chitwan Dahakhani for a month. Then she started to work as a trainer in various trainings given by SUS.
Till now, Basanti has trained more than 100 women with tailoring skills. Many women, whom she trained, have been able to generate some income with their skill coming out of household chores. Some women who have attended tailoring training, are also working in garment factories. Basanti is still curious about learning new things. These days, she also sews new design clothes by watching youtube videos.
Basanti has been a way forward from her days when she was dependent on her husband for some pocket expenses. She has already started to show some way to other women who could not come out of household chores, and do not have any skill of income generation. She motivated a woman from Badarjhula for the training of tailoring and also helped to get a sewing machine from the ward office. Accordingly, the woman got the tailoring machine as aid from the government and started her own business of tailoring.
Earlier, it was difficult for Basanti to save at least 10 rs. But now, she earns a minimum 15 thousand every month. She was bound to be only in household chores having no confidence of speaking to other people. Now, she keeps on having conversations with the people who come to her office. She said, “Now, I am also updated about current affairs in the country and the rest of the world. I am also able to help the needy people.”
Now she has got two more sewing machines as aid from the municipal office. She applied herself, visited and talked to government officials in the process of getting the machine. Basanti has been presenting herself in decision making meetings in SHG’s [Ekata Mahila Bachat Samuha (ka)] and as a secretary of Madi Mahila Utthan Samaj (a CBO) she is able to take part in meetings also. She said, “once I started to come out of home and listened to many voices, I have already started gaining confidence. Earlier I was scared of talking to new people but now I can put my voice confidently with them.”
Locals are also motivated with her continuous labor and progress. So, she is also appointed as a management committee member of the local school, Rastriya Prathamik Bidhyalaya Ayodhyapuri.
Basanti not only has been working as a trainer, she also listens to difficulties local women are facing and helps them solve the problem by speaking in required places. She said, “I can help the member of group get justice if they face domestic violence against women, I am also engaged in sanitation works, income generating works, personality development works these days.”
Discussion about this post