Social Education and Development Society: Tailoring centres

Welcome!

SEDS, the Social Education and Development Society, was founded in 1980 by Rajen Joshua and Manil Jayasena as a grassroots development NGO, motivated by the desire to help the poorest of the poor in the drought-prone area of Anantapur District in Andhra Pradesh. In the early days, the main focus of the work was on community development by way of non-formal education and small loans to skilled target communities like cobblers, basket weavers, blanket weavers and others.

As Anantapur is the second most drought prone area in India and much of its natural resources are depleted, it soon became clear that environmental problems would have to be tackled first, if peoples’ livelihoods were to be made sustainable. Starting in 10 villages near the small town of Penukonda a scheme of pioneering work was developed which aimed to empower local communities and improve their environment. Initially small nurseries were started for homestead plantations and planting of avenue trees along village roads. Re-a-forestation and more sustainable agricultural practices were introduced. From 1990, SEDS started using a more participatory approach, through the formation of Community Based Organizations. Involving the communities more in the effort made them actual stakeholders in the development process of the region. Throughout the years the scope and area of the work increased and the fruits of the sustained efforts became visible in the greener environment and the enthusiasm of the communities.

Today, SEDS is working through an integrated rural development approach with an emphasis on women’s empowerment, watersheds, re-a-forestation and natural resource management. This is within five Mandals in the southern part of Anantapur District, in south western Andhra Pradesh namely, Penukonda, Roddam, Gorantla, Somandepalli and Chilamathur. In these 5 mandals SEDS currently supports 125 villages, being some 12000 women and their families, 980 Self Help Groups (SHGs), 120 Village Organisations (VOs) & 5 Mandal Samakyas (MMSs) .

Through its sustained efforts SEDS has made a significant impact on the lives of the people in the area and the local environment. The SEDS slogan “Towards a greener tomorrow” has become a reality.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tailoring centres

In the last couple of months SEDS has been facilitating the opening of tailoring centres in rural villages. 7 centres have been opened in the following villages Palasamudram, Puttagundlapalli, Mallapalli, Chakarlapalli, Nagullur, Munimadugu and Dodagatta. These centres were set up under the initiative of the Village Organisations. Although SEDS has an excellent training and production centre on campus, Lilani, there was the desire of the communities to open centres in their neighbourhoods. This would give the girls and women of the villages the opportunity to learn a skill without the burden of a long bus ride and the additional transport costs. In order to help some with their start-up Lilani has donated 10 sewing machines.

Each centre sustains itself by the income that is generated by the fees of the students. A student will pay a Rs. 100 a month. The teacher will get a Rs. 1000 and about Rs. 250 will go to the rent of the building. Every day there will be two batches of students. This is in order to have smaller groups so that the teacher can meaningfully assist the girls. The first batch is from ten till one O’clock, the second from two till five. The girls must bring in their own cloth and thread. They will learn how to cut and stitch sari blouses, skirts, petty coats, and dresses.

SEDS’ and Lilani’s role in these centres is a guiding role. We train them in maintaining their books and finances in order, we help them in getting started up or we also provide some training. Assistance and facilitation are the keywords here.

Next to this the Lilani is providing a real income to the women of these centres in the form of piecework. One of the staff of the centre will spend a day at a rural tailoring centre giving training to the people there. He will teach them to do some specific embroidery and depending on their capabilities they will receive orders for pouches, coin purses, and cell phone bags, cushion covers, etc... Lilani will pay them per piece. The finishing touches for the piecework will be done by Lilani which will also take care of the sale of the products.

But the women are also looking for ways to sustain themselves. One tailoring centre wants to buy three extra sewing machines as they plan to make sari blouses and bags. The women will be producing them for a cheap price so they can quickly raise the money. The products will be sold on the local markets.

In this way we hope to sustain these rural tailoring centres as they provide women with a skill, an extra income and a social life.