Sewing a Future: Empowering Women in Hyderabad with Skills and Sustainability
In the slums of Hyderabad, India, many women live in extreme poverty. They often have to drop out of school to support their families. Without an education or vocational training, most end up unemployed or stuck in low-paying, unstable jobs, trapping their families in a cycle of poverty.
With no real opportunities, some women feel they have no choice but to turn to dangerous or exploitative work, including prostitution.
A Path to a Better Future
At the Chaithanya Mahila Mandali (CMM) Skill Development Training Centre, women get the chance to learn sewing and build their own livelihood. This training equips them with valuable skills that allow them to earn an income and lift their families out of poverty.
After completing the course, each woman receives her own sewing machine, enabling her to start a small business and provide for her family in a sustainable way. They also gain business and marketing skills, helping them sell their products online, expand their customer base, and increase their earnings.
Target Group
This project is designed to support socially and economically disadvantaged women living in the slums of Hyderabadwho urgently need a reliable source of income to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
Direct Beneficiaries:
Approximately 60 women per year who:
- Had to drop out of school and lack vocational training.
- Are unemployed or stuck in low-paying, unstable jobs.
- Must financially support their families because their husbands or fathers have passed away or are unable to work.
- Have no alternative opportunities and are at risk of being forced into precarious or dangerous work, including prostitution.
Indirect Beneficiaries:
- Family members, especially children, who will benefit from improved nutrition, education, and healthcarethanks to their mothers’ increased income.
- The wider community in the slums, which gains from stronger, more independent women who contribute to local economic stability.
Project Measures
1. Training and Education:
- A four-month sewing course for groups of 20 women at a time.
- Teaching basic and advanced sewing techniques, with a focus on children’s and women’s clothing.
- Training in entrepreneurial skills, including how to set up and manage an online shop to sell their products digitally.
2. Equipment and Support:
- Each woman receives a sewing machine upon successful course completion, enabling her to start working immediately.
- Support in establishing a small sewing business, providing women with a sustainable source of income.
3. Sustainability and Follow-up:
- Ongoing mentoring and support, with regular follow-up meetings to help the women grow their businesses.
- Networking opportunities among participants to encourage knowledge exchange and peer support, helping them gain confidence and strengthen their independence.
Sustainability
This project is designed to create long-term income opportunities for women from the slums of Hyderabad. By providing sewing training and sewing machines, the women can become self-employed and generate a stable income.
Training in business skills equips them to expand their businesses and achieve long-term success. Over time, this will not only improve their quality of life but also positively impact their families and communities, helping them break free from the cycle of poverty.