Aarambh brings opportunities to disabled women, to train & to work

Financial independence is very important for people with disabilities. Being able to earn their own livelihood helps them live with dignity, self-respect and find a place in society.

With this aim in mind, Aarambh has launched a special training program for disabled women in Vadodara. The employment and training program has been organised by Voluntary Youth Organization for Motivation (VYOM), a local NGO working towards the empowerment of people in need.

The project is a CSR initiative of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

As part of the project, advanced tailoring training will be given to women with disabilities. They will be taught about useful techniques and skills related to making of clothes such as cutting, embroidery, hemming and lots more.

Dolly Simon, Managing Trustee, VYOM calls this a unique project for many reasons.

It is unique because the physically challenged will get to work with designers and we want Aarambh to be a brand in coming years where it could be managed and sustain by the differently abled. Dolcy Simon, Managing Trustee VYOM

Twenty-five women have started training under the guidance of professionals and the launch was on 2 December. They have even received their first set of orders from a local hospital for 200 aprons.

Of the 25 trainees, 20 are women with various types of physical disabilities and five women are from financially weak backgrounds. The women will be given free training, sewing machines, kits and raw materials by ONGC through VYOM.

They are being taught about the craft of tailoring to enable them to become good cloth makers. The training will help them gain a skill that will allow them to earn livelihood in the future.

Fashion designers associated with VYOM are training the women. Going ahead they have promised to provide them with work opportunities as well.

Bijal Mithawala is one such designer who is working with these women. Bijal designs and retails clothes under own name.

“The initiative will go a long way in making the disabled women independent”, believes Bijal. “It may also lead to the designing of clothing that is accessible because women with disabilities will be making the clothes. The project will change the way clothes are made for disabled people”.

This could truly spark off inclusion on many levels.

Watch in Sign Language