More than 1,500 women have already been engaged with Phulo Jhano Saksham Ajivika Sakhi Mandal (PJSASM), a SHG (Self Help Group) started by Adani Godda.
With global sustainable development goals focusing towards women empowerment, community outreach mandates across India are strengthening initiatives uplifting the women population. . Talking about an initiative in this direction, Sushil Kumar Das, a District Programme Manager of the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, recently said, “the initiative of forming Phulo Jhano Saksham Ajivika Sakhi Mandal (PJSASM) by Adani Foundation in Godda is empowering the women of rural India and looking at its potential, the previous Deputy Commissioner Kiran Kumari Pasi expanded it to engage more than 1,500 SHG women belonging to 118 SHGs.”
To have financial independence, women were enrolled into free stitching training classes. Industrial Sewing Machines with proper electrical fittings were offered by the district CSR partner Adani Foundation, Godda along with working capital and handholding support.
Till date, orders of over 2 lakh uniform sets and 1.5 lakh face masks have been fulfilled. After witnessing the transformation in their lives, housewives like Malti Kumari, Shanta Devi, Anjul Devi have credited the SHG by Adani Foundation in Godda district for better family income. Depending upon the employment, they are now capable of earning 12-15k per month post training.
“Before I started this work, I hardly earned Rs 3,000-4,000 in a month, but now, I am earning around Rs 12,000-15,000. This is extra money which I earn after doing the daily household work and agricultural activities at home. As my income has increased, both my children now study in a private school at Pathargama,” says Malti. These women also stitch uniforms for over 1,470 government schools under a project that trains them with industrial sewing machines.
Apart from the Adani Foundation in Godda, Tata Steel BSL also started a new tailoring training centre for rural women in the Raghunathpur village for the members of SHG. Till December 2020, around 133 women from a number of villages associated with different groups prepared over 74,000 masks amid the pandemic and worked as a community to supply masks to the remote areas.
Being able to sew is deemed as a vocational skill. Over the past decade or so, embroidery has emerged as a great way of empowering women to support their families. Primary and secondary livelihood options are largely benefitting the communities by enhancing their skills for better income sources and a brighter future.
