Women empowerment through vocational training at sewing schools in India

Usha Silai School is a community based initiatives with the aim of empowering village women to become entrepreneurs and setting up sewing schools in their village. This movement has grown exponentially and today there are over 15000 sewing schools in India.

In order to help Usha scale up and enhance their educational offering, Sikana co-created an educational video program to train and empower illiterate women. The program helps them acuqire a skill-set, gain a livelihood, pay for their children's education and the health expenses of the family.

Internet penetration in India is only around 20% in rural areas. 900 million people live in villages and access to the internet, information and practical skills is a daunting challenge.

Digital Empowerment Foundation is an NGO that seeks to help people living in information darkness overcome the information barrier, learn how to use digital tools and the Internet to achieve greater socio-economic equality by uplifting themselves almost on their own using the power of digital devices to access information and knowledge.

DEF uses Sikana's sewing and health awareness programs at community information resource centres in rural areas with limited access to the internet.