As part of Livelihoods Program, we have established a Vocation Training Center (VTC) at Kothaguda, Hyderabad with funding from Flagstone Reinsurance Limited.

Aim of the project - Women Empowerment:

We planned to choose the vocations with a clear focus on women empowerment. Of the 1.3 billion people who live in absolute poverty around the globe, 70 percent are women. For these women, poverty doesn’t just mean scarcity and want. It means rights denied, opportunities curtailed and voices silenced.

Empowerment is the one of the key factors in determining the success of  development in the status and position of women in the society. We put a special focus on empowering women and girls, because we believe they hold the key to long-lasting social change in communities. Empowering women must be a united approach, a cause that requires continued attention and stewardship by all. We need to augment our efforts for empowering women and enhance their progress. It is our moral, social and constitutional responsibility to ensure their progress by providing them with equal rights and opportunities.

About this project: With the aim of empowering women economically, Vocational Training Centre started off on May 23rd 2010. It trains the BPL (Below Poverty Line) women in 3 different vocations namely Tailoring, Bag making and Embroidery. The centre operates from 10 am - 4pm from Monday to Saturday. Two trainers cum mentors take care of the training course.

Each batch of around 30-40 people get trained in one of the 3 vocations for 3 months. We have completed 4 such batches and have trained 140 women till now. We are currently conducting interim courses like Mehendi design, Flower making, Surf making etc for 1.5 months after which the normal courses would resume.

At the end of the training, exams are conducted and the trainees are certified from a recognized government organization. This certificate can be used by the trainees to avail loans from government to start up their own enterprises.

Impact Created:

Vocation Skill : After completing the course, some of the trainees are able to open small business units at home and earn money and few trainees took up jobs related to stitching.

Health Awareness: After sessions conducted on health awareness, the women are now aware of the importance of hygiene and the health problems related to child marriages.

Exploration of their entrepreneur skills (Established a stall , Completed a school uniforms order): A team of trainees organized a stall of bags and have successfully sold all the items there by improving their confidence levels and experiencing their first entrepreneurial activity.

Disciplined Lifestyle: The attendance system, exams, cleaning the class room by taking turns and the class room environment makes the trainees lifestyle more disciplined.

Tolerance: Every batch has trainees from various communities. Working together in such an environment makes the trainees tolerant towards people of various sectors and mindsets.

Confidence to think and share the ideas.

Teamwork: Some team activities like establishing stall , completing school uniform order , celebrating teachers day, picnic were organised by the trainees themselves.

Success Story: Our training center trainees stitched “school uniforms” for Flagstone-Nirmaan adopted school children!

The 10 trainees of our center stitched 355 frocks for girls’ uniforms in less than 3 weeks of time. The best part of this achievement is not that they have got money or a machine but the confidence that they can stand on their own feet and support their family.

Pictures while stitching machines and profits being distributed by Flagstone employees:

Handing over cheque & Stitching machine                        Beneficiaries with stitching machines

Pictures at the training centre:

?Snaps of teaching on board, notes taken by beneficiaries 

Pictures of “Embroidery” training:

Pictures of “Bag making” training:

Products prepared by beneficiaries