In India, new professional skills offer Susana a new lease of life
6 March 2021

After dropping out of school prematurely and struggling to raise her son on her own, Susana decided to change her life. Through aesthetic training, provided by an Aide et Action program, she was able to open her own beauty parlour and earn enough money to support her family. Now, Susana plans to help others by giving them the same training she received, demonstrating the power of education to transform lives.

In India, cultural norms often demand that girls drop out of school early to stay at home and fulfil domestic duties, denying them opportunities to develop professional skills outside the home.This was the case with Susana Dorphang, now 20 years old. Coming from a modest family in Meghalaya district, India, she only attended school for a few years.

When she became pregnant with her son at 16, the young woman, already deprived of an education, was denied the opportunity to work outside the home as her primary responsibility lay in staying home to raise her son.. Her lack of qualification also hindered her in finding gainful employment. But, when her son reached the age of four, she decided to start looking for new opportunities and came across Aide et Action’s vocational training center in Umsning.

Attendance, passion and determination
As Susana was already interested in the profession of beautician, she enrolled in training in this field r to acquire all the basic skills. Excited by her newfound passion and opportunity to learn, Susana was very attentive in class and never missed a lesson. She practiced every day, at home, on her friends or relatives. “My teacher was very friendly and patient with me. I have learnt so much during my training” she said.

With all the skills she gained from the training center, she also gained confidence in herself and decided to open her own salon named Susan’s Hair & Beauty Salon in Umsning. “I didn’t think I would be able to stand up on my own two feet especially being a school dropout”, Susana said. . “I am grateful to iLEAD for giving me this opportunity to become successful. I wish all the best to all of my teachers and the program that has made a real difference in my life. “

Susana now earns enough money to support her family and plans to help other young people by giving them, in turn, training to share her knowledge. Due to her passion and strong determination, she was able to create new opportunities for herself and thus improve her future and that of her son and now others that faced similar challenges that she faced.

Susana’s newfound confidence in herself and her inspiring commitment to share her knowledge with others demonstrates the power of education to empower and transform lives. As we celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021, we wish to celebrate role models like Susana.

On the same theme :

Blogs

Books to learn and escape

Libraries and books are a source of learning and escape for the children of GB Road, born to sex workers. Far from the nightmare of their daily lives, they improve their skills and discover that another world is possible through education. Meet Lalit, who in a few months at the reception centre opened by Aide et Action and Prayas in New Delhi, was able to learn to read.

Read more

Blogs

Sex workers in Delhi: Aide et Action helps them regain confidence and hope

A project conducted in partnership with the Prayas association in India enables Aide et Action to support and accompany women sex workers living in the heart of New Delhi. Reduced to the status of slaves, deprived of all rights, they are gradually regaining hope and confidence thanks to a reception and support centre that takes care of their children.

Read more

Blogs

COVID-19: women as agents of change for education

"I have been working for Aide et Action for more than 2 years but because of the pandemic, I had never been able to go and meet the populations we support. I was more than impatient that last December, when I finally had the opportunity to go to Benin and Togo. Two countries that I had not heard much about but that I am not ready to forget today.

Read more

Blogs

Socio-professional training: the key to female empowerment

To enable women to become autonomous and take decisions within their households, Aide et Action promotes their emancipation by offering them technical training and psycho-social support. More than 400 women will be trained in Burkina Faso within the framework of the Forself project, which is now being carried out with the support of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

Read more

Blogs

COVID-19:the most vulnerable children suffer greater learning losses

School closures and long months of lockdown imposed by COVID-19 have resulted in significant learning losses for all children. Children from the most vulnerable and marginalized communities have been more severely affected than others, says the new report published by Aide et Action on the occasion of the International Day of Education.

Read more

Blogs

Insecurity and terrorism: sacrificing the right to education

Growing insecurity in Burkina Faso and Mali has led to the closure of hundreds of schools, especially in areas controlled by terrorists, and a drop in school attendance in other regions. The future of thousands of children, now deprived of their right to education, is under threat. Faced with this situation, Aide et Action is adapting its programmes to guarantee access for all, both girls and boys, to education as a source of salvation and resilience.

Read more

Blogs

AEA’s ‘Girls who Code’ initiative helps girls unlock their potential

Amid great risk, painful narratives and more, we have a reason to smile and cherish. As part of the ‘Girls Who Code’ initiative, the girl children of domestic workers in Pune are receiving training on computer coding. The training is not only helping them improve their creative, logical and problem-solving skills but also their academic skills, shares Madhu Panday, Program Officer, AEAI South Asia.

Read more