Unnati Skill Development Training Centre to create a self-sustainable women’s group that can contribute to the growth of the community at large.
AHMEDABAD (India CSR): India is paying particular attention to the development of its women. The basic idea is to improve the participation of women on the economic front and bring them to the common parlance of economic growth, where their contributions can be counted as well. For long, the contributions of women have been hidden and need to be brought to light. Women’s vocational training is vital as it helps them strengthen their capacities and skills and, at the same time, improve women’s decision-making power.
Support from Voltamp Transformers Ltd
To realize this goal and move from giving to creating, ARCH Foundation, with the support of Voltamp Transformers Ltd., developed the Unnati Training Centre to create a self-sustainable women’s group that can contribute to the growth of the community at large.
Together, the Unnati Vocational Centre was inaugurated on 14th July 2022 at Jarod village in Savli Taluka.
Developing vocational skills
The objective of establishing the Training Centre was to ensure that a women’s collective is formed that is fit to make their own decisions regarding the vocational skills that needed to be developed amongst themselves. Through back-and-forth discussions, brainstorming, and need identification, in phase 1, the centre started courses like sewing, mehndi art, jewelry making, and beautician courses for the women. Awareness generation drives and meetings at the local level with crucial populations were held to encourage maximum participation.
Women applications will be enrolled
The response that the centre received was immense due to the visibility that was created. On the first day, over a hundred women applications will be enrolled in various courses at the centre.
Learn and work together in groups
A baseline survey helped in understanding and segregating the group into sub-groups to facilitate batches for various courses. The courses have been divided into basic and advanced ones, where based on the performance of the women, the batches are likewise divided. Expert trainers have been identified and appointed on a salaried basis to teach the courses to the women. The entire training centre has been given a revamped look where the women come to learn and work together in groups. This helps bridge the women’s socialization and encourages decision making, discussion amongst peers, and learning things together.
Vocational education programs essential tool for change: Sonkee Shah
Sonkee Shah, CEO, and Founder of ARCH Development Foundation shared that vocational education programs are an essential tool for change. It addresses issues of discrimination, illiteracy, and poverty. Above all, it improves the condition of women and girls and makes them ready to climb the social ladder. Savli, a taluka from the Vadodara district, has developed tremendously over the past decade owing to rapid industrialization in Gujarat. With many automobiles, pharma, and engineering companies cropping up in Savli, the socio-economic condition of the district has improvised at a manifold level. However, the state of women remains the same.
Strategies to become economically independent
Empowerment of women does not only mean the provision of means of employment but the process of awareness generation and capacity building and harnessing the energies of women to bring about transformative action. For time immemorial, women have borne the burden of physical, emotional, social, or economic violence. It is time that women realize that they must come out of the shackles of violence, which is largely hidden. The only way to do that is to empower themselves with strategies to become economically independent.
Independence amongst women is crucial
Raising awareness about the importance of independence amongst women is crucial, and the Unnati Vocational Centre will help achieve the same. The underlying goal of the centre is to build a cadre of women who can not only be economically independent themselves but also help the community at large achieve economic independence. The Sustainable Development Goals – ‘No Poverty, Quality Education, and Gender Equality aim to create an equal society that contributes to the nation’s well-being. Through continuous efforts, Unnati Vocational Training Centre is furthering the national goals of creating Make in India a reality!
Partnership between Voltamp Transformers and ARCH Development Foundation
Voltamp Transformers Ltd was established in Vadodara in 1967 and Savli district in 2009. Since its inception, Voltamp has strived to serve not only the customers but also the stakeholders directly and indirectly associated with the company. With the launch of the Make in India Campaign, efforts to reach the national goals through local efforts were made with the support of the ARCH Development Foundation, which works at the grassroots level workers, bridging the key stakeholders to the company’s efforts. ARCH Foundation, in collaboration with Voltamp transformers, identified the need to empower the women of 10 plus villages of Savli Taluka to ensure a continuous income flow and make the women self-dependent.
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