Skills training – Page 2

03 Jul

The seed of entrepreneurship is sown! (Danapur, Patna, Bihar)

The hallmark of a true entrepreneur is an irresistible urge to grow his/her enterprise; to constantly think of new ways to reach a wider market and in order to do so, to constantly acquire new skills as well.

Meet Neetu ji – one of our first stitching trainers we had on board to teach a group of 15 local women.

Neetu ji showcasing some of the designs she has made!

Neetu ji has both, party wear and daily wear in her catalogue of clothes she designs!

Neetu ji has both, party wear and daily wear in her catalog of clothes she designs!

On having completed the three-month training course we set up some time back, Neetu ji now sees an untapped opportunity here and has gone ahead and opened a full-fledged stitching and tailoring center with the help of those whom she trained. She went to the Ministry of Industries (Udyog Bhawan) in Patna and on utilizing the Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Program, which helped her take a loan, has bought electric sewing machines and a store to run her activities. She now is actively looking at markets to cover so that people buy their produce. She is particularly eyeing entering Big Bazaar and its likes.

One of Neetu ji’s associates whom she’d trained through Seva Setu’s stitching training initiative

Another of Neetu ji’s associates whom she’d trained

This is probably the best realization of the vision Seva Setu had when we started off this initiative. We consider this to be the right model to replicate with our other stitching training centers. Full steam ahead on this!

If you want to be a part of this initiative to help these local entrepreneurs in growing their markets, do drop a line here – we’ll be happy to connect you to them (we are after all a Setu [bridge] on a mission). Generally, it’s an information barrier that’s a show-stopper for them. We can ensure they make the best of what you have to offer in terms of domain knowledge and expertise.

It would also be great if you could share this post with as many to help spread the word!

21 May

Bridging Digital Divide | Training Batch 3

We are pleased to share with you that we have successfully completed the training on computer fundamentals for our 3rd batch of students. 🙂

While the next batch has already been started with 18 students in it, we have trained 87 students so far in Rajapakar block, Vaishali (Bihar) in the last five months.

The final assessment and certification by NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) for the first 2 batches is expected to be completed by the end of this month. Post-certification, these students will be eligible to apply for relevant job opportunities or enroll for more specialized courses.

Here are a few pics from the last written-test held on 13th May, 2016.

We Serve. We Bridge!

Bridging Digital Divide. Building ‪#‎DigitalIndia‬

25 Mar

Seva Setu’s Shiksha Kendra for Primary Education

We are pleased to share the launch of our first pilot initiative in the domain of Primary Education with the first batch comprising 30 students of class I to class V.

During the course of our field work, we have realized that poor reading & comprehension abilities adversely impact learning in all subjects. This is clearly reflected in the emphasis ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) lays on the three Rs (Read, Write and Arithmetic) of learning. The latest ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) clearly indicates that while the enrollment level is near universal, only 48% of Class 5 students can read a Class 2 text. Also, quality of arithmetic learning still remains a challenge. The all India (rural) figures for basic arithmetic have remained virtually unchanged over the last few years. In 2012, 26.3% of Class 3 children could do a two-digit subtraction. This number is at 25.3% in 2014.

Keeping these facts and our own experience in view, our ‘Shiksha Kendra’, started two months ago in Manihari block (Katihar, Bihar), focuses on primary reading (Hindi), writing, understanding and arithmetical ability for all students.

The primary goal is to develop this pilot into a replicable programme that can be smoothly integrated with the Government’s Primary Education programme at a more impactful and bigger scale. We’ll keep reviewing the impact of this pilot for one year and accordingly, take a call on how to take it forward.

11 Mar

Bridging Digital Divide | Training Batch 2

We are pleased to share that we are about to complete the training on computer fundamentals for our 2nd batch of 30 students.

The first batch finished its training over a month back, though their final assessment and certification by NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) are still pending. Post-certification, these students will be eligible to apply for relevant job opportunities or enroll for more specialized courses.

The launch of our first computer training centre in December 2015 has been an important inflexion point in our path of evolution as a social enterprise, especially in the domain of skill development. Unlike our other skill development efforts , this programme is certified by NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) and monetarily supported (partially) by the Government.

We Serve. We Bridge!

Bridging Digital Divide. Building ‪#‎DigitalIndia‬ 🙂

28 Feb

Stitching a Better Future | Training and Assessment Certification

While the ‘best’ custodians of national interest debate and fight with the ‘greatest’ reformers & proponents of liberalism in the country, we continue our humble efforts on the ground to bring some incremental, constructive change. Amidst this noisy power struggle of conflicting ideologies, our silent journey of action on the ground, solving problems on the ground continues.

As the morning sun brings hope & brightness to a new day, we share with you photos of women and girls from our 20th batch of Sewing training at Phulwari block of Patna district, Bihar. These photos are from a recent “Training Certificate” distribution event, as our trainer Ms. Ruby Devi distributes the certificates to those who successfully completed the training and passed the assessment test. We are happy holding their hands as these women and girls take on multiple challenges, to “stitch” a better future for themselves.

Though there is a long way to go, these successful instances of connecting, collaborating, bring a lot of hope and resolve to us, as we march on, hand-in-hand, trying to solve the problems on ground!

Here are some stats relevant to our sewing initiative:

Locations: ‪#‎Patna‬, ‪#‎Vaishali‬, ‪#‎Samastipur‬ and ‪#‎Katihar‬ in Bihar
Number of young girls and women trained so far: 313
Number of young girls and women under training: 90

A brief introduction to our sewing initiative:

We visit local communities, locate a skilled trainer (usually we always find one within the community itself), canvass potential trainees and after few rounds of discussion, we agree on a convenient place within the community itself to launch the sewing training center. We provide Rs. 7,000 as seed capital (The cost of Sewing Machine + Accessories Cost). Post that, we connect them to the wholesalers/retailers who buy stitched petticoats and blouses. Young girls and women get hands on experience in stitching and sewing. After the training hours, they enthusiastically work to produce for the orders received and deliver within committed timelines. With the capital provided for training and the revenue generated by selling finished products, the sewing center and participants earn enough not only to sustain but also pocket some regular profits on a regular basis.