Women from Chennai slums stitch a new life of independence

The intricacies of putting together apparel, and hence a livelihood, are integral part of her tailor-made life. From the hemline of poverty to a life laced with independence

CHENNAI: The whirring of a sewing machine isn’t a lullaby for S Sheeladevi. The intricacies of putting together apparel, and hence a livelihood, are integral part of her tailor-made life. From the hemline of poverty to a life laced with independence, the resident of Sathyamoorthy Nagar in Vyasarpadi is among several women from the locality who continue to set a yardstick for themselves.

In March, Sheeladevi was one of the 45 women enrolled in a 45-day free tailoring course conducted by the Aura Foundation. Today, Sheeladevi and scores of other women from the area hold their heads high buoyed by the Rs 300 to Rs 400 that they bring home daily.

The gates of upliftment for these women were held open by C Moeson Moses, a social activist and founder of Aura Foundation. The 33-year-old Chennaiite was earlier associated with Don Bosco India, until last year when he established Aura.

During the 2015 floods and the Michaung cyclone, Moses was engaged in distributing relief materials in areas like Minjur. As a token of gratitude, the locals offered him 10 cents of land for free for the Aura Foundation. Moses plans on setting up a library on this parcel of land and is 1,500 books closer to achieving his dream.

But a library is not what the namesake of the Biblical Hebrew prophet, teacher, and leader aspires for. “We aim to empower women, enrich their lives and extend helping hands to those who struggle to meet daily needs,” Moses tells TNIE, adding, “We primarily work in North Chennai and Minjur in Tiruvallur, where people come from economically weaker sections.”

Talking about Sathyamoorthy Nagar, Moses says, “Most people here are daily wagers like electricians, painters, and drivers, while the women lacked education and were primarily housewives. Low income jeopardised their lives, especially their kids’ education. That is when we decided to show the way for a regular income.”

Sheeladevi’s husband works as a painter. “We have two kids, who go to a government school. Even though my husband’s earnings were never enough, we never had any idea of a second income. Then, I joined the free tailoring class and took it up as a profession. Now, we get orders to stitch school uniforms, nighties and other things.”

As per Moses, women are also imparted training to make organic napkins using handmade machines. “About 45 women attended the five-hour classes daily and have made and sold around 3,000 napkins. We use organic cotton and other plant-based materials,” he said. A Sudha (38) and M Vasanthi (41) from Kennedy Nagar in Vyasarpadi are engaged in manufacturing and selling napkins. Speaking to TNIE, they mentioned their efforts to secure government loans to secure napkin-making machines. Once approved, they plan to start a production unit. Aura has also tied up with seven garment shops to secure orders.

The above is the detailed content of Women from Chennai slums stitch a new life of independence. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!