Our iLead vocational training programme helps young people become resilient

15 July 2020

Photo credits: Chandra Kiran Katta 

Since 2005, Aide et Action's skills development programme, iLEAD (Initiative for Livelihood Education and Development) has trained over 245,000 young people across India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Philippines. On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, we bring you resilient stories of three young Indian women who, with the support of iLEAD, are practicing their trade, despite many obstacles such as poverty and gender stereotypes.

Satrupa: all about nuts and bolts

After her training, Satrupa got married and settled down with her in-laws. She always wanted to contribute to the family income. Inspired by her father-in-law - who was a car mechanic - and his curiosity about nuts and bolts, she too aspired to become a car mechanic - an unconventional profession for a woman in India. "My father-in-law, who passed away after I got married, always wanted to open a garage, but to no avail. I decided to make his dream come true. I enrolled in the iLead training course in mechanics.she says. During her 75-day training, Satrupa developed many skills to practice her trade as a car mechanic. In addition, she received computer training, English language training and some personal development sessions. 

After completing her training, she started working as an assistant supervisor in a car repair unit in Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh. Noticing her hard work and determination, iLEAD encouraged Satrupa to open an iGarage, a car service centre that was well received by the people. "I accepted the offer, prepared a business proposal, started looking for a place for my garage. The setup, from branding to toolkits and other equipment, was in place. The iLEAD team was always there to guide me, whether it was account management or stock record keeping. Now I have been successfully running iGarage for a year and I am also training young people from neighbouring villages.she says. She adds: "I am lucky to have the support of my family. It took me some time to gain people's trust because they never thought that a woman could also do such tasks, which are usually done by men. My husband has been my biggest support; he also helps me in running my business today.

Balasuk gives herself the means to realise her dream: to become a beautician

Coming from a poor family, Balasuk stopped her schooling at the age of 11 to support her family. A few years later, Balasuk tried to enrol in a private institute to train as a beautician, a profession she had always dreamed of pursuing. However, her training was short-lived because Balasuk could not afford the fees. It was then that she discovered the iLEAD training centre in her city and decided to enrol in a beautician course. Three months later, Balasuk completed an on-the-job training course. After completing her training, she was hired in the same salon.

In two years of practice, Balasuk's income increased considerably. Impressed by her skills, the owner gave her the responsibility of running the salon. Despite this, Balasuk did not lose sight of her dream to open her own salon. Due to insufficient financial resources, she was unable to make her dream come true. Soon after, she heard about the financial grants that iLEAD offers to young people who plan to start their own business. She immediately applied for the loan. After getting the loan, Balasuk opened her own beauty parlour and is now the proud owner of Bala Beauty Parlour in Shillong, Meghalaya.

"I am very grateful to iLEAD for transforming my life from a school dropout to a successful entrepreneur. I could never imagine that iLEAD could make me what I am today. Now I can support the education of my younger brother and sisters, explains Bala with a smile.

Chief Minister recognises Sonu's contribution

In Udaipur district, Sonu Gurjar, a 28-year-old woman from Mavli village, decided to use her sewing skills to make and distribute facemasks in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to her training in sewing at an iLead centre, Sonu is now part of the collective effort to help her community adopt the mask.

 "I noticed that there was a shortage of masks in our neighbourhood. Since I know how to sew, I started sewing masks at home and distributing them for free to the needy. I am grateful to Aide et Action's iLEAD programme for honing my sewing skills and to my village Sarpanch for providing the fabric to make the masks.Sonu makes 50 masks daily with the support of her mother Kesar Devi Gurjar and sister-in-law Poornima Badgurjar. They also distribute masks in nearby residential areas and at checkpoints. Acknowledging her selfless efforts during this pandemic, Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to congratulate Sonu.

On Monday 15 July, our teams officially launched the "iLEAD Goes Online" initiative. This allows our professional training programme to be delivered remotely on a digital platform. This means that, despite the Coronavirus crisis, all trainees can continue their learning safely from their homes.

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