J-K: Army sets up centre at Boniyar in Baramulla to hone skills of Kashmiri girls

Baramulla (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 30 : The army has set up a skill development centre at Boniyar in Baramulla under the "Khwab-e-Tabeer Project to empower Kashmiri girls in the far-flung areas of Kashmir valley.
Army has taken up various schemes under the Ministry of Defence in this regard. The project targets to empower more than 300 girls and many of them have successfully completed their training.
Khwab-e-Tabeer Project was started with an endeavour to reach out to girls from far-flung areas of Boniyar Tehsil in Uri of Baramulla district in North Kashmir. Aimed at empowering women, the project is a ray of hope and motivation for them. Khwab-e-Tabeer is a pilot project, conceptualised by the Indian Army and executed in collaboration with Make My Trip and Flow Cloud Technology (NGO).
Trainer at the skill development centre, Mehreen Jan said, "Atleast 20-30 girls work under my supervision and I teach them fashion designing and tailoring. Many uneducated, as well as educated girls, come here for training. It's been around 4-5 months since they started and they are doing so well here as well as at their home."
"I firmly believe girls should be independent. There are not many jobs here and we face a lot of difficulties, but handicrafts have the potential to grow and will provide employment to these girls," she added.
The project reaches out to the girls and women of far-flung villages and trains them in the art of Tailoring cribble work and tilla work under professional trainers. The project offers wide exposure for the students, as their work is showcased at major events and programmes all across the Nation.
"I joined here for training three months back. I was unemployed and sitting idle at home when I came to know that with the efforts of the Indian army, training is being provided to girls. I got a means of employment and I can even work at my home independently now. I am really thankful to the Indian Army for this opportunity," said Saima Bano, a trainee.
The regular interaction with dignitaries and achievers in the field results in boosting their confidence to a new high. The students, as part of the project, are also provided with management training, with a vision to empower them towards self-employment.
The aim of the training centre is to create a sustainable skill development programme which will facilitate employment to Kashmiri girls in various industries and provide a platform for self-employment to the girls of Kashmir. After learning this, they can start their own ventures and earn their livelihood. Kashmiri girls have hailed this step taken by the Indian Army and hope that more such centres will be established so that girls in far-flung areas of Kashmir valley get the benefit.