IND/10/028 - Literacy and sewing training

Country India
Total project budget ($USD) $10,000
Requested funding ($USD) $0,000
04/04/2013
Project development type Education and Training
Name of Requesting Association Association Sruti
Objective: The purpose of the project is to train 200 young women to sew over a period of 5 years (average age 17 years old, from 14 to 24), as well as to provide them with some education on health, civic responsibility and literacy, which would enable them to achieve a certain degree of financial and social independence.
Background: The creation of the two associations ``Sruti France`` and ``Sruti Inde`` came into existence when Shashi Singh, an Indian social worker and midwife, met Alexandrine Lambotte-Saligari, a French midwife, in April 2007 in Benares at an Indian humanitarian association, which strives to bring help to women and children living in extreme precariousness situation at the train station of this city. Sensitive to the difficult living conditions of these Indian women, as well as of those living in Bamrouli, her hometown located in the centre of Uttar Pradesh State, Shashi Singh decided to create a help and support programme for the women of her hometown. Acquisition of autonomy and responsibility: The main objective of the Sruti association is to enable women to gain access to equality, social autonomy and economic independence through projects providing them with literacy, awareness of their rights, better knowledge of health and hygiene and to earn a living. All the young women taken care of by the Sruti association benefit from training in sewing and health and civic education. After their training, they are given the possibility of earning a living through possible recruitment by local companies or by selling their products via the associations Sruti India and Sruti France. The women who wish to take part in the sewing training but do not have a basic level of reading and arithmetic will benefit from the literacy programme. Currently, two young women who completed the sewing training last year are responsible (on a voluntary basis) for the premises and the sewing machines, and are very committed to the programme. They also use the sewing machines to make their own products which they can then sell. They take care of the opening and closing of the workshop. In the morning, with the help of the other women involved in the training course they prepare everything (mats on the floor, getting the material out of the cupboards, removing the protective covers from the sewing machines, etc.). At the end of the morning training sessions, the group of women clean up the room. If anyone wishes to use the sewing machine in the afternoon, they can then ask one of the women in charge to open the room. Currently, this system has proved to be quite efficient. The fact that the beneficiaries are involved in the management of the premises and the sewing machines, allows for a better accountability of the group of women. To create more accountability with these young women in relation to the equipment made available to them, they receive at the beginning of their training a certain number of needles and other small equipment. If they damage their equipment for any unjustified reason, they are responsible for replacing it. At the beginning of the project, the association used to give out free needles and other equipment, but there was too much waste and damaged equipment. Since this new “regulation”, the young women take better care of their equipment and avoid any waste. The young women who have completed their training and can use the sewing machines to create their own products tend to be very involved in the maintenance of the machines. When any problem arises, they contact the project coordinator or one of the young women responsible for the premises and machines. They realised very soon that these were their working tools even though the machines did not belong to them individually.
Use of Funds: General operating expenses over a period of 2 years for the training course on sewing and literacy (euros 1,084): - salary of the sewing teacher Rs 1,500 per month = Rs 36,000 over 2 year (euros 580.6)- salary of the literacy teacher : Rs 800 per month = Rs 19,200 over 2 year (euros 309.6)- expenditure for equipment (exercise books, fabrics, threads, etc.): Rs 500 per month = Rs 12,000 over 2 years (euros 193.5)General operating expenses over a period of 2 years for the programme ``remunerative activity`` (euros 1 716):– purchase of material (fabrics and others) to allow the women to make their products: Rs 24,860 (euros 401 – total for the year 2009) = euros 802– purchase of products made by the women (the total amount is given back to the women): Rs 28,332 (euros 457 – total for the year 2009) = euros 914Sruti Association buys the products made by the women at the local ``Indian`` prices (based on prices practised in hotels and tourist shops) These are then sold in France in an informal way through the coordinator of Sruti France (to colleagues of the General Council, the hospital and the social service, in the fairtrade Christmas markets, etc.). The profits are then re-invested in the project via the Association Sruti India.Planned investments in 2010 according to resources available (euros 3,050)Building of the Association’s house: euros 1,450 (€3,050 = estimated on the spot in April 2009. Euros 1,800 were already paid to the Sruti India in 2008. This money was used to purchase bricks, level the ground and construct the fencing).- Purchase of 16 sewing machines (Euros 100/unit): euros 1,600.In the present state of the premises, the day is divided into two parts to ensure a good and fair use of the sewing machines: in the morning the young women who are being trained use the machines while in the afternoon those who have completed their training can use them to make their own products or to sell.In the future Association’s house, the two groups will be given the opportunity to work at the same time during the day. Indeed the sewing workshop will have enough space for the training courses and at the same time for the women who wish to use the machines so that both trainees and trained women can have unrestricted access to the premises.After 2 years of project funding (which will continue by self-financing over a total period of 5 years), a management committee (cooperative) will be created by the young women who have been trained. They will be in charge of the coaching and supervision of the project. There will then be a transfer of ownership of the sewing machines and the sewing equipment to the management committee, namely to the beneficiaries. Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of the project are young women living in the village of Bamrouli and surroundings. The project’s objective is to train 200 young women over a period of 5 years. Every 6 months, the Association Sruti India sets up a training course for 20 young women. The average age is 17 years old (going from 14 to 24 years old). The majority of young women taking part in the project belong to the lowest castes (Koumar, Souiper,Dhalits...), who are the least considered in the social hierarchy. Their everyday duties consist of working in the fields and taking care of the household.
Beneficiaries: 200