Women acquire skills to become self-reliant under Centre's Seekho Aur Kamao scheme in Aligarh

Dec 29, 2020

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 29 : Under Government of India's 'Seekho Aur Kamao' scheme women in Aligarh are not only learning skills to become self-reliant, but also getting a lesson in communal harmony.
An NGO called Manav Samman Seva Samiti is running the skill development centre under Ministry of Minority Affairs' scheme which was initiated in 2013-14 for the women minority communities, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains.
Sanjay Sharma, the director of the Centre, told ANI that his centre trains women in the art of stitching and embroidery among other things and then makes them self-reliant by helping them get jobs in self-help organisations.
The women who are getting training at the skill development centre thanked the central government for the scheme and hoped that the acquired skills will help them become self-reliant and independent.
"This scheme is extremely beneficial for us. I have been learning to stitch here for two months. When I joined, I didn't know anything about stitching, but now I'm almost proficient in the art," said Preet Kaur, a student at the skill development centre.
Talking about how the scheme also promotes communal harmony, Kaur said women from multiple communities are taking training under the same roof, but there is no discrimination among them.
"We are like sisters. We help each other whenever needed," she said.
Another trainee Yasmin Khan also hoped that skills learnt here would help her live a self-reliant and respectable life.