Empowering Women

Enjoying Self Reliance and Financial Independence, Gender Equality and Empowerment

Savita Devi comes from a family that does farm work, and her husband, Mr. Shyam Sundar, also works on farms as a daily wage labourer. When the Covid-19 lockdown happened, her husband had to go back to their village, and their family had no money coming in. They used up all their savings during this difficult time and were left with no money.

Seeing their tough situation, Savita decided to find a job to help her husband support the family. She learned about a sewing school program called Silai school and joined it. Now, Savita is a certified teacher at the Usha-BPF Silai School. She teaches other women and girls in her community and charges them Rs. 200 each month as fees and Rs. 50 as an admission fee.

From these fees and her sewing work, she earns Rs. 1,400 from the learners’ fees, Rs. 350 from admission fees, and Rs. 2,000 from sewing. On average, she makes around Rs. 3,500 per month from her Usha-BPF Silai School and sewing work.

Savita said, “I am very thankful to BCML for this life- changing opportunity. I will not want to stop here. I truly enjoy being in a state of self-independence and self-reliance.”

Against All Odds, Gender Equality and Empowerment

Laxmi Devi has opened Usha Silai School with the support of BCML through its project Nai Umeed.

After her husband’s passing, she found herself trapped in debt, selling everything she owned, including her jewellery, and having only her children and a small plot of land left. Providing for her family’s daily needs became a daunting challenge, but she utilized her sewing skills to stitch clothes in her village to make ends meet.

The COVID-19 lockdown interrupted her work, depleting her savings entirely. However, this marked the beginning of her quest for a brighter future. Laxmi discovered the BCML initiative, aimed at establishing Usha-BPF Silai Schools in nearby villages, and quickly enrolled due to her stitching skills. She is now a certified Usha-BPF Silai School teacher, empowering other women, and girls. Through teaching, stitching, and selling cosmetics at her shop, she earns up to INR 12,000. Laxmi has invested INR 10,000 in cosmetic and stitching materials and approximately INR 30,000 to expand her shop business, proving that resilience and determination can lead to remarkable achievements.

Laxmi stated, “Silai school has played a significant role in my life. I can now afford better health care and education facilities for her children. I have also reinvested the money I earned from this business to scale up.”