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Womens Sewing Centres and Self Help Groups
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It was recognised at an early stage that empowerment of the women of the Villages would be helpful to giving them the opportunity to progress, not only for themselves but also for their children. Most of the women are illiterate and the Health programme in target villages is designed to improve their general health and welfare using group training sessions with pictograms to help get the message over.
In Kanjiar, one of the larger villages, it was decided to set up a Sewing School to assist this empowerment process. To date some 50 women have received training over the years and there are 8 sewing machines being used now to help the present group.
There were 18 in this group in 2005, and they take it in turns to learn on the machines after they have been taught the correct principles of hand sewing. As ever, the work is limited by the funds available for materials as well as paying the teachers, providing more sewing machines and the premises in which to put them. Clearly, to house valuable equipment like this, one needs secure and watertight buildings, and these are not easily available in the villages. As part of the development of people in the villages, the Health team have organised the establishment of SELF HELP Groups (SHG). These operate like mini Credit Unions where up to 10 people form a group, pay a set sum into the fund each month and after a while they are able to borrow from the Group fund to start an economic project of their own, subject to the approval of the group. In mid 2006 there are about 8 such SHGs operational and they are already starting to show benefits to the relevant village economic life.
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There are no diary entries.
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