Tailoring Unit
Some of the Redemptorist fathers of Mount St. Alphonsus community along with lay collaborators have started a new initiative for Slum women of our locality. A survey estimated that the population of the slums in the State is about 40.50 lakhs, which works out to 22.56% of the State's urban population. Totally 2397 slums are notified in the State and out of which 387 slums are notified in Bangalore City alone under the Karnataka Slum Area. The thought to empower the women emerged when the need was expressed by the slum women to learn a skill. A quick survey was done by the few volunteers has confirmed that the slum women are in need of the tailoring skill in order to empower themselves and their families.
The Redemptorist priests ( Frs. John Mathew, James Kumar and A.S Raja) and with the collaboration of lay people (
Mrs. Akila Lean and Shyla Matthew and along with their husband Kenith lean and Matthew) and with support of the
local NGO GRACE have assessed the possibility of starting a tailoring unit for the target group of the community.
Our dream came to the realization very quickly than what we expected when the Sisters of Charles were willing to
revive their own tailoring unit that they had near the slum.
Initially, there were 28 women who were ready to join the tailoring program. Our first tailoring unit for women has
started in Anbilliam on 9th September 2018. The tailoring unit was blessed and started by Rev. Fr. Edward and encouraged
the collaborative efforts of St. Charles sisters and Redemptorists Fathers with the lay collaborators.
A months later, the assessment was done with the students of the tailoring unit. The feed backs were really positive. An illiterate woman told during the meeting that due to financial constraints faced by her family, she dropped out of school at 12 and soon she was married and given birth to two children. Her husband is being an alcoholic, She used to go and work house to house to earn very meagre money to support her husband and family. She added that this tailoring institute has become a new sign of hope in her life as she would be empowered with the new skill and also gave her the confidence to support herself and the family. Encouraged by the success of the first tailoring unit, we began the assessment of the next slum in Venkateshpuram began very shortly. We also felt the same dire need to learn tailoring skill among the women in that place also. When we scouted for a place to run the tailoring unit, the sisters of Satyaseva who once had the tailoring unit, expressed their willingness to give space and tailoring machines.
On 11th November 2018, the second tailoring unit was born in Satya Seva, Venkateshpuram. There are nearly 40 women
who are empowered presently by the unit.
The institute has inspired many uneducated men and women to become financially independent. It has also made it a
point to choose some illiterate women and train them. One such person was Nithyamathi (changed the name), who did
not go to school and was in deep trouble and trauma for several years. But after coming to know about the institute,
she joined the institute and learning the trade. Now she is leading a peaceful life, and hope to earn her livelihood
with stitching clothes and embroidery from her home and other places of work.
The institute also may offer a certificate at the end of the tailoring course. The attempts also are made in regards
to their employment after the completion of the course. The collaborative efforts of Redemptorists fathers and lay
collaborators also were also named as SEEDS (social, economic Empowerment & development service). The future plan
also is to extend the tailoring program to the nearby slum as well. We hope to empower at least 600 women every year
and we also dream that what we have begun recently as little tiny seeds may soon sport and extend its branches far
and wide.