USHA Partners With UNFPA To Take Life Skills Education To Rural Women

USHA International and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly known as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities have collaborated to develop life skills module for women in rural areas of India.

UNFPA aims to develop 100 master trainers consisting of Silai School women entrepreneurs, USHA sewing trainers, USHA Program Coordinators and NGO coordinators.

These Master Trainers will train 3,000 Silai School teachers on life skills across a three-year period - a widening base, that will reach more and more women, turning them into confident, empowered individuals.
Equipped with life skills, women are able to manage their social dynamics, facilitate economic aspects and also live healthier lives.
According to Mary Rupa Tete, Vice President, USHA Social Services, life skills help individuals to adapt to changes and also cope up with different challenges that they are facing in their everyday life.

Ms Tete further said that the curriculum has helped them understand their own self. She said that they are able to organise their work better, balancing both- family and business, dealing with male members of the household and with vendors outside. They are able to handle situations where they get less support from their family or community, she said adding that they are also getting better at negotiation, seek better price while purchasing raw materials and selling quality made products.
In Patna, Bihar, Silai Hero Sweta Sudarshan is the face of the joint initiative of USHA and UNFPA to take life skills to women in rural areas.
She got to know about USHA Silai School programme in 2017 and participated in the training. SHe became a Master Trainer and encouraged girls from her nearby slum area to join her Silai School.

Sweta says what has really helped her is the exposure gained in her travels across the country. It has given her enough inspiration to think out of the box and be innovative.