At SEESHA, we transform shy, uneducated women into empowered individuals through trainings and development programmes.

Amala is a 26-year old woman in the village of Babukulam, Tamil Nadu. Timid, uneducated and married at a very young age, for several years, she never stepped out of her small hut as her husband went out to work everyday. One day, a SEESHA field worker knocked on her door. That was the day her life began to change.

Amala enrolled herself in the free tailoring course offered by SEESHA. At the end of six months, she started her own home-based tailoring business using the sewing machine given to her by SEESHA. Today, Amala is an outgoing young lady who not only supports her family income, but is also a Community Health Facilitator for SEESHA, promoting health in her village and helping her people adopt healthy lifestyles.

For centuries, women have been denied the opportunities and the recognition they deserve. It has taken innumerable efforts by several people, remembered and forgotten, to bring women to where they have reached today. Although much progress has been made, it is undeniable that women in India still have a long way to come in terms of empowerment.

At SEESHA, we have strong faith in the innate power of every woman. We believe that, with the right thrust, this power within her can be unleashed for the betterment of the society. This is what brings us to our work with women in the poorest, most backward communities in India, especially those who have faced economic, social and cultural exploitation.

Vocational Training

In an effort to help them to ‘learn and earn’, we offer several vocational training courses to women from poor communities.

Through vocational training centres located in different parts of India, we train women in tailoring, computer skills, bag making, soft toy manufacturing, etc.

These trainings help women feel a sense of worth, boosts their self esteem, as well as provides them with opportunities for self-employment or jobs. In turn, these centres transform these women to breadwinners and entrepreneurs, who are capable of supporting their families financially.

Some of these projects are carried out in association with government agencies, such as Jan Shikshan Sansthan.

Mothers’ groups and Self-Help Groups

We believe that when women come together, life-changing impact can be effected in their families and communities.

Bringing women together through Mother’s groups and Self-Help groups, SEESHA uses this tried and tested method to bring about collective development among the women we work with. These women are trained, provided health and raining is given to these groups, and income-generation activities are undertaken. Additionally, a non-formal education programme in Ranchi, Jharkhand, provides women basic education to read, write and carry out necessary mathematical calculations.

These women, being teachers in their own households, pass on their knowledge to the next generation. Therefore, SEESHA sees it as important to create the right kind of awareness among them, empowering them to implement the right practices at home and in their communities.