Shilpa Bai of Jashpur district in Chhattisgarh is the youngest child in the family. She has two elder brothers both of whom are married. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a housewife. Shilpa always had a dream of being independent and doing something one her own. She did not want to be someone who has to ask money from her family to fulfill her needs. The opportunity to fulfill her dreams came in the form of a professional course.
Shilpa came to know about Livelihood College and the opportunities that she could get there. She was told that there are various courses to teach skills related to different kind of industries. She was told that such a course would help her to get a job and that the Livelihood College authorities would also provide placement assistance to the students at the end of the course. Every district in the State has a Livelihood College and these colleges are fully residential where students get accommodation and study materials free of cost.
Shilpa went to the Livelihood College at Jashpur and she found a course on tailoring. She had always been interested in sewing and therefore she took up that course. She learnt various advanced techniques of tailoring. After completion of the course she got a job in a company in Hyderabad. She attributes her success to the course at Livelihood College. “Without this course it would have been impossible for me to get this job.” She says. She is happy now because she can contribute to her family. But what makes her happier is that she is independent now and she earns money to meet her own expenses.
Shilpa is very excited about her job. “I am eager to start working there. I want to work hard and make my life better. I also want to make lives better for my family members. I will work hard and make sure that I progress in life. I have a lot of dreams and this job is my first step towards that.” She says. She is a bit anxious about the new environment and new people that she will be working with but she is confident that she will do well and will be able to adjust to her new environment.
Shilpa and a few other girls who have completed their training and have landed in jobs have become an inspiration for other girls in the class. They are excited about their own futures as well. These girls are also working hard to finish their courses so that they can become better artisans and can become assets for the industry. The girls have dreams of making it big in the world outside their homes and the sewing machine can now show them the way while ensuring their financial independence at the same time. Getting an opportunity to turn their hobbies into their profession is the greatest satisfaction for these girls. They are working hard so that they can also get jobs like Shilpa or can start their own ventures.
