Many women in India are driven to provide for their families above and beyond their time-honored domestic roles. They need to realize a different aspect of their potential by entering the workforce, earning an income, and contributing financially to their household.
However, there are many barriers to providing and opportunity is often not readily available. Education and vocational training for women can be limited, keeping them from achieving their employment goals. For a woman to step out against all these pressures and pave a different path is an act of courage – even in tough circumstances, such as being the lone breadwinner remaining in a family. In such a situation, if mothers cannot find a way to put food on the table, their children starve.
“The journey to being able to provide for one’s family is not the same for everyone,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “In these communities, just committing to hard work and putting in the effort is not enough. We see hard working, smart and driven individuals who have never had the opportunity to develop any marketable skills, and without those there is no opportunity for them.”
The Barzilai Foundation is providing these women a way to earn an income and tap their potential. We are sponsoring a 90-day vocational training session for women who want to learn skills necessary to earn income as a seamstress in Guntur, India. Training, for the 140 participants, will cover tailoring skills as well as beading, painting, and other artistic techniques that add retail value to garments. For participants who complete the training, the Barzilai Foundation will be providing them with a sewing machine so they can immediately begin earning revenue from their newly earned skillset. This will prove transformational for their families in communities where the per capita income is well under £200 per month.
For this program, the Barzilai Foundation will be partnering with Chetana Global Foundation, a charity located in Macherla, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Our colleagues at Chetana are very aware of the financial plights many Indian women can find themselves in, and teamed with us to design a course that equips them with vocational skills that can make a big difference in the welfare of their families.
“Many of us have the luxury of dreaming about how to reach our potential,” said Sosa. “These women are facing a different reality, one with real consequences for others if they fail. This program is designed to give them a rare way forward. We’re grateful to be able to join Chetana Global Foundation in bringing hope to the situation.”
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