Namphai: The valedictory function of Swavalamban Silai (Self-help Sewing) School Teachers Training was held today at the Seva Kendra Arunachal East (SKAE) training centre, Namphai in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The free 10-day residential training was organised by the social service wing of Miao Diocese under the sponsorship of Usha International and Small Industrial Development Bank of India.
Speaking at the function, Sister Sunita Parmar, the Director of SKAE, said “This is not merely a training but empowering the school dropout girls from the last villages of Arunachal Pradesh. This is also a community empowerment as the trained students are to train two more dropout girls in their villages within a year”.
A total of 25 dropout girls and women attended the 8-hours per days training.
The trainees showed remarkable interest in the training. “Most of the trainees had never touched a sewing machine in all their life but now they can also repair one”, said the Carmelite Missionary Nun.
The trainer from USHA international, Rumpi Handique Phukan, was totally impressed with the trainees’ grasping ability. “These dropout girls from the interior villages of Lohit, Namsai and Changlang districts, joined us as kachha (untrained) students without any prior knowledge of sewing. But they can stitch most of the basic clothing” Phukan said.
Within ten days of training, the trainees are able to cut and stitch kurti, basic block, plated pants, Patiala pants, plazo pants, platted skirt, petticoat and hand embroidery and block painting.
Father Deepak Kannade, the President of the SKAE told the trainees, “Let your training continue. Do not stop at this. Make this training as a foundation for a higher goal in life and do not stop till your goal is achieved”.
As part of the valedictory function, free sewing machines and certificate of completion were distributed to all the trainees.