SIDBI Initiatives

Swavalamban Silai Homepreneurs

Bank under its flagship initiative Mission Swavalamban, collaborated with USHA Social Services, a Department of Usha International Limited (UIL) in May 2019 which is continuing in current year also to reach out rural women from the unserved, underserved, backward, calamity prone & aspirational districts of India to promote entrepreneurship for their economic enablement & enhanced social standing.

Objective of Initiative:

• To reach out to most marginalized women in the communities residing in remote villages of backward/unserved/underserved districts to promote women-centric rural entrepreneurship.
• To promote the concept of "One Village One Homepreneur" and develop a sewing-based village level enterprise.
• To support their skilling on sewing / stitching / embroidery / machine repair– By imparting intensive 9 days residential training on sewing, stitching, designing & machine repair, etc. as employable skills. During the training period 2 days training is imparted on entrepreneurship development & life skills to empower women which shall be based on the curriculum called ‘Abilities Beyond Skill’ designed by UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund/Formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities). These skills will help women to identify as self, build connections with others, deal with stress in life, build their competence to manage challenging situations, develop coping mechanism, optimize opportunities, live healthier life, etc. After the completion of training women are provided with foot driven sewing machine, sewing kit, machine repair manual, sewing design booklet, signage board & certificate for master trainer.
• To create income generating opportunities and a sustainable means of livelihood for women without leaving their household premises.
• To improve the social standing of women in the community through economic enablement.
• To guide women on using digital platforms for marketing and e-commerce which would enable them to connect to online portals for selling their products.

Benefits of Swavalamban Silai Schools (called as Homepreneurs) as women-centric rural enterprise:

• Sewing / stitching / embroidery activity is good option for women in rural/semi-urban areas, which enables them to work & earn from their homes. Now they have also diversified to mask making & PPE kit making.
• No additional expense on infrastructure is required for starting the school.
• Sewing is a socially acceptable activity in rural/semi-urban & backward areas.
• As they work from home, their support to families is not affected and family imbibes entrepreneurship orientation/qualities.

Footprints

• Cumulatively, a total number of 3000 underprivileged women from over 2909 villages, 253 blocks, 59 districts across 23 states and UTs (viz. UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, J&K, Goa, Haryana, Ladakh, Puducherry & North-East (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura & Mizoram) had been supported to become silai homepreneurs.
• Enhanced Skills and Confidence: The training has significantly improved the participants' stitching and sewing skills, leading to increased self-confidence and a greater sense of self-reliance.
• Financial Independence and Improved Household Dynamics: The acquired skills have enabled the participants to generate stable incomes, contributing to their households' financial security. This economic independence has also led to increased decision-making power within their families, promoting gender equality.
• Community Empowerment and Job Creation: The participants have not only improved their own lives but have also contributed to their communities by training other women, creating job opportunities, and fostering a sense of collective progress.
• Intergenerational Benefits: The increased income and financial stability have allowed participants to invest in their children's education and wellbeing, potentially breaking the cycle of poverty and paving the way for a brighter future for the next generation.
• Intervention aligns with SDGs : Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Multiplier Ripple Effect : On average, each participant has trained more than 12 individuals, indicating a multiplier of 12.