Women have always been marginalized. In a nation like ours, women are generally treated as second-class citizens and seen as someone to look after the home and bear children. The main aim of this program is to enhance the quality of the life of women through increased knowledge and skills. VIDYA believes that merely imparting literacy would not be sufficient and the women need vocational training or skills also to uplift their status. The very fact that the women step out of their homes and spend time with their peers and the VIDYA staff makes a world of difference in their outlook towards life.
The VIDYA Mandira Women Empowerment Center at VIDYA School Gurgaon was founded in 2015 to provide skill based training, formal and non-formal education to underprivileged women. The VIDYA Mandira Program has become a haven for women and girls who are from lower income groups or from very vulnerable backgrounds. VIDYA is working towards exploring forums and opportunities to integrate them into mainstream vocations.
The VIDYA women are constantly encouraged to enrol and engage themselves in courses and curriculum that are vital to build confidence, capability and self-esteem so that they could be responsible citizens of society.
Catchment Areas covers multiple numerous villages on the Mehrauli Road between Delhi and Gurugram comprising of low-income households, the women are housewives, or maids, with low or no income prospects, extreme working hours, and social challenges which require them to stay within a certain distance from their houses.
The program takes a holistic view of the process of enabling the women, both socially and economically, through sensitization, skilling, and finally supporting in the generation of useful employment.
Literacy Program: Spoken English, Life Skills and Digital Literacy
Vocational Training: Beauty Care, Cooking/Baking Workshops
Wellness Programs: Yoga, Health Camps with special emphasis on mental health.
Project Beneficiaries: Over 140 women in one year . Through six month tenure courses
Project Target Group: Our beneficiaries include mothers of students of VIDYA School Gurgaon, and other women (age 18-40 years) from underprivileged sections of the community
| Goal | Objective | Outcome | Performance | Process | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women empowerment – improve the quality of life | Empower over 140 women and equip them with knowledge and skills through literacy and vocational training programs that enable awareness, self-reliance and economic freedom. | Equip women to be employable or work in Beauty Care (Shringaar Program) The key success parameter for this program is that the monthly household income must increases by at least Rs 10,000 for basic program and Rs 25000 for advanced program. | Proficiency acquired, and certification done through renowned mentor | 6 batches in one year consisting of Beauty Care Basic program (called Shringaar Basic) and Beauty Care Advanced program(Called Shringaar Advanced) in one year covering over 140 beneficiaries Three hours daily exposure, five days a week – conducted by trainers and volunteers; with a defined curriculum | Women trained to be employed; additional support for identifying employers |
| Vocational Skills | Expected Number of Beneficiaries | Key Success Indicators | Means of Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shringaar – Basic Beauty Care |
100-110 Women Beneficiaries | • Assessment by the instructor for each key milestone • 80% of the women start earning at least Rs 10,000 per month |
• Program Coordinator to check assessments once a month and take feedback from the women • Social worker to conduct a survey 3 months post completion for each woman and submit a report |
Shringar- Advanced Beauty Care |
40-50 Women Beneficiaries | • Assessment by the instructor for each key milestone • 90% of the women start earning at least Rs 25000/- per month |
• Program Coordinator to check assessments once a month and take feedback from the women • Social worker to conduct a survey 3 months post completion for each woman and submit a report |
Academia During Pandemic
Total 230 students had enrolled till date
Silai Result – 2019 -20, Gurugram
| Batch | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|
| Appeared | 15 | 18 |
| Passed | 15 | 18 |
New Initiatives 2021-22
SHG Formation : 12 women have become members of our very first SHG.
Tie-Up: with ‘SAUNDHI” for production of clothes, bags, accessories.
Culinary- The students will be inducted into marketable culinary skills in partnership with Foodshalla and various experts in their fields.
Case Story 1
Usha joined our centre in the second batch of Shringar Basic, prior to which, she was running a small parlour in the village to supplement the family income. She has a family of six, her husband,mother-in-law,father-in-law and two children. But due to a lack of proper training, this parlour was on the verge of closure. She decided to act upon this by joining the Mandira Margam Shringar program where through her hard work and determination she was able to acquire all the skills required to transform herself into a smart and confident woman. Seeing her determination to succeed and willingness to work hard for the betterment of her family, we sent her to Urban Clap. She successfully passed their interview round and after having completed her course, she has been employed by Urban Clap and is earning approximately Rs. 70,000 – 80,000/- per month. This economic freedom has brought a great impact in her personal life. She is contributing towards her childrens education as well as her in-laws have become more acceptable of her career choice. The family is supporting her by taking care of her children, relieving her of the chore to cook for the family so that she can pursue her career ambitions. She is one of our success stories, she just not transformed herself but rather changed the typical mindset of her in-laws towards the role of daughter-in-laws in the family. VIDYA Mandira Margam wishes to continue supporting her and other women like Usha.
Case Story 2
Sudha joined our centre in the 2nd batch of Shringar Basic. She is a resident of Nathupur Village. She has a family of five, her husband, mother-in-law, and three children. One of her daughters aged 7 years is a paraplegic. To make ends meet, she decided to join the Beautician course at VIDYAMandiraMargam. Initially, she faced a lot of opposition from her husband and mother-in-law. She was determined and worked harder for her dream. She had her first exposure to earn money at the KarvaChauthMehendi Event held at the PNB Office. This opportunity gave her appreciation for her skills and boosted her confidence. She started doing this more often during her leisure time. After receiving her Diploma for the basic course she enrolled in the Advanced batch with us. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints and having a good hand zone, we sent her to Urban Clap and she successfully passed their interview round. Despite of all obstacles, she is earning approximately 50,000/- per month. This economic freedom has brought a great impact in her personal life as well as her family has become more acceptable, rather than discouraging her, they encourage her to pick up new leads for appointments. Not just the domestic chores, the family is also supporting her by taking care of her children and letting her go to pursue her career ambitions. She is one of our success stories, she has not just transformed herself but the mindset of her own family. VIDYA MandiraMargam wishes to continue supporting her and other women like Sudha.
To conclude
The program is intervening in a non-threatening manner, with a target audience that understands the need for the intervention, and for whom the means were not available to be able to lift themselves out of the situation that they were in. The benefits will accrue not only to the women trained, but also to their families, and to other women in the community who would be motivated by the change in income levels, and consequently in the quality of life of the project beneficiaries.
Head Office Block-S, Plot no. 3126,
DLF Phase III,
Gurgaon - 122001, India
Head Office (Delhi NCR): 8130474724
Mumbai: 022-25787317
Bangalore: 09986422009
Delhi: office@vidya-india.org
Mumbai: mumbai@vidya-india.org
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