“I come from a very low-income family, and making ends meet has never been easy. This training gives me hope. I dream of becoming self-reliant and supporting my family so we can live with dignity and stability,” says Rosmila Majhi, a 36 year old beneficiary of the Sewing Training Programme, organised by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). RSP is implementing this flagship CSR initiative aimed at empowering underprivileged women from peripheral communities through tailoring skill development and establishment of a Training Cum Production Centre (TCPC) at Jalda Resettlement Colony . The initiative, run in collaboration with Usha Silai and Gram Utthan, is designed to provide sustainable livelihoods to women by equipping them with tailoring skills and production opportunities.
With hope shining in her eyes, Sumitra Munda, another participant, shares, “Though I have struggled through difficult times, coming here has made me confident. I am eager to learn more so I can support my family by earning a better income.” Fellow trainee Rakhi Mundary praised the positive environment, “I love the atmosphere and the work harmony in the training centre. RSP-CSR is taking care of our conveyance, food, and basic needs during the training, in addition to providing value-added tailoring skills in a very supportive learning ambience.”
Notably, 15 women from the Jalda Resettlement Colony under Lathikata Block are participating in the training programme. The sessions are being conducted by Ms. Monalisha Sahoo, Master Trainer, Usha Silai School. This is 3rd such programme being organised at the Institute of Periphery Development (IPD), Sector-20, following the remarkable successes of the 1st two TCPCs set up at the rural peripheral villages of Purnapani and Baniguni. The support and integration of the fully-formed TCPC with aided schemes and marketing linkages through ORMAS further strengthen the initiative, making it more impactful and result-oriented.
The program aims not only to train but to create a ripple effect after six months, the core group of trained women will train others in the community, subsequently multiplying the impact over time. To support the transition from training to entrepreneurship, a seed capital of Rs. 35,000 will be provided to the TCPC’s core group to initiate early business activities. In the next phase, value additions like cutwork appliqué work with high market demand will be introduced. Specialized training for this will also be imparted to the core group as per the work order, ensuring long term sustainability and economic empowerment for the women.
It is noteworthy that the total project cost includes around Rs.12 Lakhs for developing the TCPC and Rs. 5 Lakhs for developing an in-house Silai Training Centre at IPD CSR building Sector 20.
