DREAM TO LEAD
Linking Adolescent Girls and Boys of Jhabua to Livelihood throughSkill Enhancement for a Better Future

DISCLAIMER
This compendium is an outcome of a project titled ‘Linking Adolescent Girls and Boys of Jhabua to Livelihood through Skill
Enhancement for Better Future’, funded by UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh, to work with the adolescents and youths in Jhabua toimprove their decision making ability and help them to realize their potential of working in different fields and also to facilitate
them to pursue better livelihood options from October 2018 to December 2019. This document is intended for use by academics,
media, government, non-government organisations and the general public for guidance on the matters of interest only, and does
not constitute professional advice. However, the decision and responsibility to use the information contained in this document lies
solely with the reader. The publisher(s) are not liable for any consequences as a result of use or application of this document.
Content may be used/quoted with due acknowledgment to the Development Alternatives Group and UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh. All
photographs contained in this compendium have been used with due permission.

Dream to Lead

Author:Anisha Gupta

Advisor:Sandeep Khanwalkar, Aakriti Uttam, Khurshid Alam

Photo Credits:

Khurshid Alam

Designing:

Pritam Poddar

Year of Publication

:

2020

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.

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The journey called life!
Dreams never die
The unstoppable
Wings to fly high!
Dare to dream big
Dreams unlimited!
My life, my rules!
Positivity galore!
It's never too late!
Work first!

CONTENTS

Against all odds
Writing her own destiny“Unleashing dreams”
For a better tomorrow
Dreams Never Die
Aspirations
The sweet taste of successDream Big!
Never Lose Hope
Never Stop Dreaming

Now I feel confident and strong to face theworld by keeping the positive attitude toachieve my goals

Name: Anita Rathore
Age: 28 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 7th standard passed
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs.7000-8000 per month

Against all odds
“Kaushal se Aajeevika” project works with the objective to bring holistic development in the lives of young
girls, enabling socio-economic growth for their better future.
Meet Priyanka, a young girl who has always been passionate about beauty and makeup. But lack offinancial resources had acted as a bottleneck to learn necessary skills and turn her passion into career.

06 Dream to Lead

Priyanka was in class 8 when her mother passed
away. Her father, the only bread earner, had the
responsibility to take care of the family. These
circumstances compelled Priyanka to leave herstudies and help her father in sharing the
responsibility.
Priyanka, along with her two siblings, started
working as a domestic help to contribute to herfamily income. She also took charge of thehousehold work as she was the only female
member in the family after her mother’s death.
One day she got to know about the Assistant
Beauty Therapist (ABT) skill development course
from one of her friends. She saw that as a ray ofhope to fulfil her dreams. She knew she could
learn various skills in the field of her interest andthat the course would also help her earn money.
Even though she had lost the hope to build acareer after dropping out of school, her father
encouraged her and supported her to get
enrolled in the course.
She was a quick learner, and was prompt inunderstanding the concepts during the training.
The course gave her the knowledge on various
aspects such as basic information on beauty
products and their pros and cons, training on
operating machines and customer dealing as
well.

Being an introvert Priyanka was hesitant initiallyin dealing with customers. The trainers noticed
this and through various activities theyencouraged her to come out of her shell during
the personality development sessions.
With the help of the programme, she got placed
at one of the beauty parlour in Jhabua and today
she earns INR 2500 per month.
Priyanka always wanted to open her own parlour
but had no knowledge on making a business plan,
selecting the right products and place. The
course also introduced her to the concept ofentrepreneurship and helped her achieve her
dreams. The enterprise development module,
during the course, introduced her to theseconcepts and helped her gain confidence to set
up her own parlour one day.
The programme not just helps trainees in getting
skilled in a particular field but also help thembuild their personality through soft skills training
modules. This is helping many girls like Priyanka
to build a path for success and live their dreams.

Dream to Lead07

“Any kind of knowledge or skill taken shouldbe imparted to others. The more you give,the more you get”

Name: Rashmi Baghel
Age: 23 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Geology
Course: Assistant Beauty Therapist (ABT)
Salary: Rs.3000-3500 per month

Writing her own destiny'Kaushal Se Aajeevika' project is aimed at equipping talented young girls with skill and knowledge forenterprise development who aspire to achieve big in their life, but lack of resources and financial problems
have restricted them to follow their dreams. One such girl who has benefitted from the programme is
Rashmi.

08 Dream to Lead

An intelligent and hardworking Geology
graduate, Rashmi believes that education is apath that will lead to success in life. She draws
inspiration from her father who works in agovernment school as a teacher.
“I have been raised on the principles of hard workand dedication for the ultimate success,” sheasserts.
Besides her interest in studies, Rashmi ispassionate about beauty and makeup and always
keeps herself up-to-the-mark. Rashmi wished toequip herself with skills required for a job in thebeauty and wellness sector and wanted to set up
her own parlour. One of her friends referred herto the 'Kaushal Se Aajeevika' program and Rashmi
wasted no time to enrol herself in the course. She
learnt various technical and theoretical aspectsof the beauty and wellness sector. Rashmi's
trainers observed her enthusiasm and decided togive her personalised training in 'people skills' sothat she can deal with customers withconfidence.

Besides learning the beauty-related skills,
Rashmi was also introduced to importantconcepts such as work ethics and managing
client. During the course her communication
skills were also sharpened. And soon after
completing the course, she started working.
Currently, she works at a beauty parlour called'Kashish' in a village called Meghnagar) and earns
INR 3000-3500 per month. She also provides
beauty and makeup services in the neighboringareas through home visits. Rashmi is content
with her job and is happy after pursuing thecourse as she stands tall on her feet with herhead held high.
Rashmi wants to continue enjoying her financial
independence and feels that her marriage will be
the deciding factor in her line of career. She
wanted to become a teacher but her marriage
will the deciding factor whether she will beallowed to work in a school or would be able toopen a parlour at home.

Dream to Lead09

“I feel proud of myself as I have fulfilled mydesire to set up my own parlour and I am
capable enough to look after my family
financially independently”

Name: Bhavini Verma
Age: 23 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 12th standard passed
Course: Assistant Beauty Therapist (ABT)
Salary: Rs. 4000-5000 per month

Unleashing dreams
Ever since her childhood, Bhavini has dreamt of becoming a beautician. She believed that creativity is oneof her biggest strengths. She has always come up with new and innovative ideas. However, due to the lackof resources and financial problems in the family, she could not pursue her dream. She could not join any
beauty school to learn the technical aspects of the profession. She even had to discontinue her seniorsecondary education because her parents could not afford that.

10 Dream to Lead

Bhavini's father worked in a local salon and he
was the only breadwinner of the family. Her
mother suffered from a long illness which further
escalated her concerns as she had to look after
the household chores and her younger brothers.
And with no monetarily support from her family,
she could not turn her passion into a profession.
One day, Bhavini discovered a center - "Kaushal
Se Aajeevika" which provided Assistant Beauty
Therapist (ABT) training free of cost. Bhavini
knew that the course will equip her with therequired skills and will also help her start her own
enterprise. She got herself enrolled in the course.
This course introduced her to a range ofbeautician skills - manicures, pedicures, facials.
She also learnt the art of bridal makeup and haircutting.
After rigorous sessions and practice, Bhavini has
completed the course of beauty and wellness. As
part of the curriculum, trainees also learnt aboutenterprise development.

Bhavini also learnt about enterprisedevelopment and it helped her set a vision for her
future business plans. One of her trainers said,"Bhavini was a curious and active student. She
has always participated in the class discussions.
She leaves no place for any doubts in her mind."
After completing her course, Bhavini decided to
set up her own parlour at home. Today she earns
between Rs. 4000 - 5000 every month. While
this course helped her fulfil her dreams, it alsoenabled her to contribute in the family income.
She now shares expenses with her father and has
become financially independent. “During festival
seasons I earn more as demand is high and people
like my services. I feel proud of myself as I havefulfilled my desire to set up my own parlour. It
has enabled me to look after my family and havemade me financially independently", she asserts.
Besides running the parlour, Bhavini also has
keen interest in on decorating home and interior
designing with items including paintings, vaseand lamps.

Dream to Lead11

“Every girl has a right to make her dreams
come true. They should be encouraged tomove forward as it will give a brighter future
to not just her but to everyone related toher. Trust your daughters they are no lessthan a son”

Name: Vaishnavi Veragi
Age: 23 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 12th standard passed
Course: Assistant Beauty Therapist (ABT)
Salary: Rs. 4500 per month

For a better tomorrow
Vaishali, a girl from Jhabua, was unable to continue her studies after class 12. This was because of therestricted resources available for girls and the taboo attached with working women in small towns. In acandid conversation, she talks about how girls do not get equal opportunities to work. And how they are
not informed about the diverse options available for them to make informed decisions. She says girls are
expected to get married and look after the family.

12 Dream to Lead

But she decided to write her own destiny – goingagainst the norm and working to become selfdependent. She learned skills related to beauty
and makeup at a parlour and got experience inorder to set up her own business. But she felt it
was not enough. She wanted to pursue a course
to become a professional in the field.
After thorough research she discovered“Kaushal se Aajeevika” training centre, which
provides a short-term course for becoming askilled Assistant Beauty Therapist for no cost.
Vaishali did not waste a moment to get herself
enrolled in the course and learn about basic andadvanced services from the professionals.
She thoroughly enjoyed the training programme,
but the skills she loved learning the most werefacial and bridal makeup. By the end of the
training program, she became an expert and wasconsidered one of the best trainees for using theright technique and providing the comfort to thecustomers. Her trainers were extremely happy tosee her progress and they believe she is all set tostart her own salon.

Vaishali is proud of her achievements. She said
delightedly, “I feel to have achieved a sense ofsatisfaction, especially when customers preferme over others at the parlor. I feel strong andmotivated to work harder and earn respect in thesociety”.
Vaishali is currently working at Kashish Beauty
parlour, and earns INR 4,500 per month and is
working hard to set up her own parlor soon.
Through the financial stability gained after thecourse, she is prepared to face any challengewith courage. The course has helped her improve
her thought process and has also broadened herpathways through important skills such as
personality development, entrepreneurship, life
skills, and career counselling.
Her parents are also proud of her achievement.
Her father asserts, “Our daughter has become
confident after the course. She is actively looking
for the right opportunity and working hard to
make a better future for herself as well as for us.
As a good multitasker, she is now managing her
work and household responsibilities with fulldedication and enthusiasm.”

Dream to Lead13

“Nobody should give up on their dreams.
Maybe not directly but indirectly
everyone's dream will come true if you keep
the spirit high. Just believe in yourself andeverything will be yours”

Name: Ritu Sharma
Age: 23 years
Location: Jhabua
Educational Qualification: Bachelors of Arts
Course: Assistant Beauty Therapist (ABT)
Salary: Rs. 5000 per month

Dreams Never Die
There are many young boys and girls who are unable to pursue their dreams due to financial reasons,social issues, etc. One of the major reasons is also the lack of awareness and knowledge regarding career
choices.
“Kaushal se Aajeevika” project aims to encourage young girls and boys to bring out their talent and

14 Dream to Lead

capabilities and achieve their dreams. It provides
support and helps them break barriers andachieve greater heights.
One such girl who has benefitted from thisprogramme is Ritu from Jhabua.
A bright young girl, Ritu always dreamt of
becoming a lawyer. But because she did not theright guidance after completing class 12, she wasunable to take steps in the right direction to fulfil
her dream. She then realized her interest in
taking up the profession of a beautician. But she
did not have required skills to find a suitable job.
A friend told her about the course of Assistant
Beauty Therapist being run by “Kaushal se
Aajeevika” project at a centre near her house.
She went to the centre to enquire about thecourse and decided to join it.
During the course, she learned various skills suchas facial, waxing, threading, bridal makeup, saree
draping, hair style, etc. Out of all these her
favorite were hairstyle and makeup. And her
trainers helped her polish her skills. “Theymotivated me and guided me at every step. They
encouraged me to practice it and showedenough confidence in me”.

clients are happy with her services. And this has
given her confidence and motivation to work
harder. Apart from the skills she learned, she wasalso guided on her academic interest.
At present, she is working in a parlour in Jhabua
and she earns INR 4000 per month. In addition tothis, she also earns INR 5000 through her home
visits.
They say dreams never die. So is the case with
Ritu. She still dreams of studying law and she
continues her studies with the money she isearning. This way she is not even adding financial
burden to her family.
During the course she was also trained onenterprise development and sharpened hercommunication skills. She wishes to start her
own parlour soon where she could provide
platform to other girls like her who look foropportunity to stand on their own feet and build
their future.
While people in the community discourage her toprovide home services. But her parents haveshown confidence in her and are standing by her
side. She calls this her biggest achievement.

Ritu takes up assignment and visits home in her
locality to provide beauty related services. Her

Dream to Lead

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“Never lose hope. Make use of every
opportunity so that you never regret”.

Name: Hemlata Chouhan
Age: 18 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Arts 1st year
Course: Tally
Salary: Rs. 5000 per month

Aspirations“Kaushal se Aajeevika” project recently introduced a new course on Tally as per the need in the district. It
got huge response from the community. Young girls and boys were motivated to take up the course andbuild their career in the profession.
The basic skills required includes calculation and accounting. Along with boys many young girls were keen

16 Dream to Leadto take up the course. One such girl is Hemlata.
Hemlata was very young when her father passed
away. Her mother had to take up the entire
responsibilities on her shoulder. But she worked
hard to ensure her children continue studying.
But later due to financial crisis, Hemalata had todrop out after class 12.
A soft spoken and family oriented stood by her
mother. When her mother went out to work, shetook care of the household chores and also
looked after her younger siblings. One day she
met members of mobilising team who
encouraged her to learn new skills and take up
the course of her interest at the centre “Kaushal
se Aajeevika”.
This came as a ray of hope for Hemlata. She
showed interest in the Tally course and soon got
enrolled herself in it.
While pursuing the course she learned
accounting, operating computer and it also
helped her improve English speaking skills. She
was fully dedicated to the course and is now anexpert in these skills. “Even in a small place likeJabhua, the fact that young girls and boys have
stepped out of their homes to learn shows thekind of change it is bringing. We can become selfreliant by pursuing this course. Now I wish to dohigher studies and pursue MBA.”

Soon after completing the course she got placedin a medical shop as an accountant. There she
worked for some time. She wanted to take up
graduation course and thus left the job andcontinued her studies with the money sheearned.
To support her family financially, she has taken
up a part time job with a firm, where she handles
their account and manages to earn around INR
4000 every month.
Hemlata is a self-dependent and confident girl
today. With her courage she is taking up every
step in the right direction. The course also helped
her bring lot of positivity in her life and havemade her strong enough to face any challenge.
The biggest happiness for her, she says, is thefact that she has started speaking in English
which was very difficult for her earlier. And thefact that she can operate computer makes herrole model for many.

Dream to Lead17

“Now I feel empowered and will create achange in the society by counselling the girls
who are scared to think about their future”

Name: Jagruti Solanki
Age: 18 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 2nd year of B.Com
Course: Tally
Salary: Rs. 5000 per month

The sweet taste of successOften girls are not encouraged to be financially independent and ambitious. While they might have thecaliber to choose a career and make decisions for themselves. They often face discouragement and lacksupport from their families, which makes it difficult for them to become self-reliant.
And then there are some like Jagruti. An ambitious young girl who breaks the norms set by the society and

18 Dream to Lead

decide to fulfill her dreams and make her parents
proud.
Jagruit is currently pursuing graduation in
Commerce. She loves playing with numbers. “Mypassion is to learn accounts and finance”.
Due to a financial crisis in the family, she wanted
to take up the job while studying in the college.
But due to lack of specialization related toaccounting and finance she was unable to find ajob. She wanted to become a helping hand to herfamily and also wanted to gain some practicalknowledge.
And the opportunity was waiting for her, she got
to know about the Tally course started by“Kaushal se Aajeevika” program. Programme
mobilizers made her aware of the course and she
got enrolled. She gained a lot of interest during
the training as the topics taught were related toher own studies and she could understandeverything quickly.
During the training she also learned to operate
the Tally software and GST related work. This
was a new experience for her. Beside this thecourse also helped in polishing her English
speaking skills. She thoroughly enjoyed thecourse.

Jagruti has a vision for her future. Now she aims
to do higher studies and become a professional in
the field of finance and accounting. She was also
trained for appearing for interviews forplacement. This has helped her become more
confident.
Today she is working with a firm called 'Shivam
Consultancy and Services' in Meghnagar where
she looks after accounts and GST. She has
become an expert in this field and is earning INR
5000 per month.
Jagruti has now set a higher goal in her life. She
wants to study further.
During the course, she was also trained on
developing their own enterprise which
enlightened many like her to set up their own
businesses. Jagruti says earlier she was notaware of this. “The girls in my community arenever taught how to set up or manage a business.
I am grateful to my trainers who taught me thisand encouraged me to take this as a challenge.”
Her parents are proud of her and the fact that she
is a confident girl who has all the courage to takeher own decisions.

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“The zeal to learn and curiosity to know will
make you cross all the hurdles of life andyou will achieve the best”

Name: Vaishali Bhabhar
Age: 20 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 3rd year B. Com
Course: Tally
Salary: Rs. 4000 per month

Dream Big!
“Kaushal se Aajeevika” program has always aimed at bridging the gap between aspiration young girls andboys and the resources available to build their capacities. This initiative is focused on developing skills fora brighter future for them.
Vaishali is one such girl. Full of enthusiasm, she dreams of becoming the District Collector. She believes

20 Dream to Lead

every girl has the right to dream big. And with theright support and resources, they can fulfil those
dreams. Vaishali says while she was lucky enoughto get support from her parents and siblings, she
did not have the resources to pursue her dream.
“I do not know what subjects one must study toappear for such exams. Also there was no one toguide on how to fill the forms for the same”.
She also had to face the financial crisis. She has a
big family and her father is the sole bread earner
who could not help her much in getting the rightinformation. She wanted to support her family
financially while pursuing her studies. She
wanted to help her father in raising her younger
siblings.
One day while coming back from college she met
the team of mobilizers of the program “Kaushal
se Aajeevika” who told her about various courses
in the centre and how they are enabling young
minds in getting right skills and employment. She
took up this opportunity and decided to take up
the Tally course. As she had completed
graduation in Commerce, this course would
further enable her to sharpen her skills. Apartfrom the theoretical knowledge, the course
enabled her gained the experience throughpractical application.

Initially she did face some trouble as she wasunable to work on the Tally software. But withextra attention from the trainers she quickly
learned the software. “I had never worked on thesoftware. So it was a bit difficult initially. But mytrainers helped me understand the concepts andwork on the software”.
Like many other she too got exposure ofenterprise development.
Vaishali says she is a different person today.
With the right knowledge and skills, she feels
more confidence and is ready to take on theworld.
The programme also helped her get the rightguidance for purusing her dream of becoming
the District Collector. She was given detailedreferences on how to prepare for thegovernment exams. “I am very thankful to theprogram “Kaushal se Aajeevika” as it gave memuch more than I could ask for”.
After the completion of the training she wasinterviewed by various firms working in the
sector of accounts and finance. She got placed in
one of the firms in Meghnagar and today she
earns INR 4000 per month.

Dream to Lead21

“Never lose hope. Opportunity always
comes”

Name: Rajendra Bhuriya
Age: 18 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 12th standard passed
Course: Tally
Salary: Rs. 6000 per month

Never Lose Hope
Rajendra, a young and ambitious boy, has always dreamt of becoming a banker. He believed that a job in a
reputed bank can give a secured future to him and his family. But the financial crisis at home acted as aroadblock and he could not pursue higher studies post class 12. That left him deeply demotivated. He
could not find an opportunity to do a job as he also lacked in skills such as English speaking, computer
operation, etc.

22 Dream to Lead

But life had some plans for him. One of his friends
told him about “Kaushal se Aajeevika” centre andvarious courses it runs, which could help him get
the right skills for a suitable job.
Rajendra did not waste any time and got enrolled
in the Tally course. He was quite hopeful that thecourse would open door of opportunities for him.
The course helped him learned various aspects ofthe subject such as the software, filing GST,
accounts etc.
He was a quick learner and his zeal to learn madehim master the skills. Seeing his hard work,
Rajendra's trainers were extremely happy withhis progress.

Rajendra was quite hopeful to join the banking
sector one day. During the course he was also
trained in soft skills such as communication andpersonality development. It helped him develop
confidence and he successfully cracked theplacement interview. Today he is working at a
firm in Meghnagar and earns INR 6000 per
month.
He is extremely happy to contribute to his family
income and take the responsibility on on hisshoulders.

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“It is not always possible that what you wish
you get. But one should dream big”.

Name: Manish Garwal
Age: 19 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: Bachelors of Arts
Course: Tally
Salary: Rs. 6000 per month

Never Stop Dreaming“Kaushal se Aajeevika” program has been conducive in identifying, encouraging and supporting youth
who are ambitious and have the potential and have the zeal to achieve big in life, but are unable to becauseof lack of resources.
Manish had always dreamt of pursuing higher education and become a professor. But life had other plans.

24 Dream to Lead

The financial crisis in the family forced him tochange his plans. Later his father met with anaccident which further worsened the financial
position of the family. As most of their savings
was used for his treatment. And Manish had toleave his graduation studies.
Manish felt helpless. Seeing his family
conditions, he was forced to take up a job tofinancially support his family. He started looking
for a job in the accounts and finance sector.
But with no professional skills, it was hard to finda job. He had to face multiple rejections because
he had no specialised degree or certificate in the
sector. He was quite disheartened.
One day he met the programme mobiliser who
told him about the program in detail and also
about various the centre was running.

During the training he learned various aspects of
Tally including the software operation, GST
filing, maintaining the balance sheets, etc. He
was a quick learner and had eye for details. His
trainers were impressed by his dedication.
Beside this, training on personality development
and enterprise development also helped him
develop confidence to speak in front of many
people. With the help of trainers Manish
appeared for interviews by various business
firms in Meghnagar and was also selected. At
present, he is working with a business firm in
Meghnagar. He files GST and handle work
related to income tax. He earns INR 6000 per
month which is helping him to support his family
financially. But he still dreams of becoming aprofessor. He is working hard to earn enough sothat he can continue his studies.

He developed interest in the Tally course andwas hopeful that the course would help him get ajob. After taking the detailed information about
the course he joined immediately it as he wasgiven the surety of placement after the training.

Dream to Lead25

“Never stop dreaming because no time issame. We should always look high up in
optimism”.

Name: Narendra Singh Bhuriya
Age: 26 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: Bachelors of Arts dropout
Course: Mobile repairing
Salary: Rs. 2500-3000 per month

The journey called life!
For Narender and his family, having two meals a day was a luxury. His father was the sole earning memberof the family and his income was not enough to meet the basic needs of the family.
The situation at his home was tough, making him negative towards life, he gave up on his dreams as hecould not pursue higher studies. Narender started helping his father in the field and during the off-season,

26 Dream to Leadhe used to travel to Gujarat in search of work
earning Rs. 250/day. But these are now things ofthe past.
One day while working on field, the mobilizer ofthe programme told him about “Kaushal se
Aajeevika” program, aimed to support the youth
who lacked the resources to enhance their skills.
He enrolled for mobile repair course and learned
the various aspects of repairing a mobile
hardware and software. He enjoyed the course
and was also given training for Enterprise
Development which was particularly helpful inlearning important business skills. With the helpof the session, Narendra gained the vision andconfidence to set up his own small stall of mobile
repairing.

He was also given training in personality
development in which he was taught how to deal
with customers, how to quote prices for different
services etc.
“I am very grateful to thisprogramme as I could gain skills and earn theconfidence to do work and earn money.”
He got a placement from the centre in a mobile
repair shop in Rambhapur, Jhabua and is earning
Rs.2500-3000 per month. He dreams to set him
own business of mobile repairing.

Dream to Lead27

“I am happy and confident now. I want tolearn and earn more and become asuccessful person in life. Everyone should
keep the urge of learning then only they canachieve more”

Name: Madan Singh
Age: 24 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 2nd year Bachelors of Arts
Course: Mobile Repairing
Salary: Rs. 9000-10,000 per month

Dreams never die
Being the eldest son in the family, Madan had lots of responsibilities on his shoulder. He had put his
ambitions and his dreams on the side to meet the needs of his family.
His father is a farmer and his income was not enough to meet the needs of the family. Madan whilepursuing his bachelors was also working part time as an electrician but his income was still not sufficient as

28 Dream to Leadthe work was not permanent.
Due to lack of any specialised skill or educational
qualification, Madan couldn't earn well or find astable job. While his search for a good job
continued, he got to know about “Kaushal se
Aajeevika” which offers various skill based
courses to youth and provide employment.
Out of the various course being offered, he was
keen in mobile repair. He immediately enrolled
and was given training on mobile hardware
among other topics. He was very excited to learn
the various technical aspects such as repairing
the screen, battery, keypad, buttons, mic, etc. He
was educated on all the steps involved inoperating a mobile phone. A quick learner,
Madan gave his best and practiced a lot during
the training classes and became an expert inmobile repairing.

He was also introduced to the modules ofEnterprise Development and soft skills which
trained him on how to set up a business including
planning and executing a business plan,communication skills and customer care. “ If i
don't understand the needs of my customer, mytechnical skills will be of no use. The soft skill
trainings really helped me on that aspect.”
Madan has set up his own shop of mobile repair
in Meghnagar where he repairs all kinds ofhardware problems in mobiles and also offers
mobile recharge service. He earns anywhere
between Rs. 9,000-10,000 in a month and is also
working as an electrician.

Dream to Lead

29

“Before exploring the world explore
yourself. To know the hidden talent in you
so that by using them you can make adifferent life”

Name: Jamna Gohri
Age: 17 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 10th standard passed
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs. 2500-3000 per month

The unstoppable
Jamna always dreamt to be independent: hold a respectable job and earn money for herself and herfamily. A school-going girl full of enthusiasm, she had to leave her studies due to medical problem in her
family. The eldest of three siblings, she now had the responsibility to look after her family. She dropped
from school after completing grade 10 and was at home for the next few years. But her dream to workoutside her home didn't die. She got to know about the skill development centre “Kaushal se Aajeevika”

30 Dream to Lead

which had opened in Meghnagar through her
friends. The centre offered various skill coursesthat assured of employment. Jamna visited thecentre and was told about the courses, she was
keen on garment stitching. While she was
excited to start the course, she was also nervous
and fearful of leaving the comfort of her home.
With support from her family, she joined thetraining program.

Through enterprise development training, Jamna
got a vision to set up her own business. Aftercompletion of training, she was offered a job in a
tailoring shop but she refused as she wanted toopen her own business. Initially ,she worked
from home and got orders from people living
nearby for stitching and alteration of clothes. She
earned a good amount of money through this andbought a new sewing machine.

She learned various things in the course such as:
how to operate the sewing machine, cutting
clothes, different types of stitching, making
frocks, blouses, petticoats, etc. She showed fulldedication in the training and therefore learned
everything with accuracy. Her trainers found her
to be a good observer and a quick learner.

She has now set up a tailoring shop in her house
along with doing household chores. Currently,
she is earning Rs.2,500-3,000 per month andaspires to earn more in the future.

Apart from learning stitching, Jamna was also
trained on personality development and givenclasses on personal grooming, speaking andcustomer care. “I have not only mastered the skillof stitching but have also gained confidence totalk to people. This training program not only
made me aware of the talent I had but also gaveme the confidence to take decisions for myself.”

Dream to Lead

31

“Never hesitate to learn as opportunities do
not come again and again. There is no rightage of becoming independent and strong.”

Name: Anita Rathore
Age: 28 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 7th standard passed
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs. 7000-8000 per month

Wings to fly high!
Anita was in class 7 when her family went through a major financial crunch due to poor agricultural season.
Anita had no other option but to drop out from school as her father the only earning member of the family
who could no longer support her education. It was a turning point in her life.
She started to help her father in the fields to compensate for the losses. In the agricultural off season, she

32 Dream to Lead

took up labour work to earn some extra money.
At such a young age she was burdened withresponsibilities. She was married at a young age
and she felt that the door to her dreams was now
closed.
Post her marriage, she was in better financial
position but she wanted to be independent, takeup some work which she was unable to. She
became a part of a group called Rathore SHG
which helps women socio-economically. One ofher friends from that group told her about“Kaushal se Aajeevika” centre which aimed toencourage the youth to fulfil their dreams andbecome independent. Anita went to the centre
to understand the various courses being offered.
She was always fascinated by clothes anddecided to go for garment stitching.
Initially, she was hesitant to go to the centre but
her will to work for herself and passion for
clothes made things easy. She was regular at
attending the classes and learned everything
quickly. Soon, she knew the basics of stitching
and also the technical aspects of stitching byhand as well as by machine. “She has a hunger forlearning more and contributes by giving
innovative ideas” said her trainers.
She was also given training on Enterprisedevelopment and soft skills. Anita also got an
opportunity to display her work in
Rakshabandhan haat. From there she gained a lotof first-hand experience in marketing and sales
which boosted her confidence. She got somotivated by her experience at the haat thateven thought of starting her own enterprise in
Amlipathar village.
The course made her feel empowered andconfident. “I have not only gained skills but also
respect. Now I am independent to take my own
decisions on how to spend my money”.
She was also motivated by her family to set her
own business. Anita became an inspiration to
many women who got married at an early age towork again. She is earning Rs.7,000-8,000 per
month from her own tailoring shop set up at her
home.

Dream to Lead

33

“One should never get disheartened andlose hope. There are always ups and downs
in life but we should learn from them andmove ahead. ”

Name: Papita Khaped
Age: 17 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 9th standard passed
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs. 3000-4000 per month

Dare to dream big
Dreams of a girl are never paid heed to, at least this is the case in most of the villages. But there are somegirls who dare to dream big. Papita had to drop her schooling after 9th standard due to her family's
financial situation. Her father is a mason and mother works in the field. Papita left her studies to look after
the house and her younger sibling. At an age when she should be nurturing dreams, she was burdenedwith household work. After spending some time doing household work, Papita thought of earning money.

34 Dream to Lead

But it was a challenge finding a job as she didn't
possess any skill or higher education
qualification. But she did know little stitching but
did not have a sewing machine. The financial
condition of her family was worsening each day
which lowered her confidence.
She did not want to lose this important time ofher life when she could work hard to earn andmake her and her family's life better. During thistime, she got to know about the program“Kaushal se Aajeevika” which aims to equip
youth with skills and provide them employment.
Papita decided to take training under thisprogram and visited the centre with her friend toinquire about the various courses. Little nervous
initially, the trainers at the centre made her
comfortable by encouraging her to learn andearn.

her with all the support and extra time.
She was also given training on enterprisedevelopment where she was educated about thevarious aspects of setting up the business “Forthe first time, I got such an exposure. This hasreally helped me gain knowledge and confidence
to work. Now I dream for my future and want to
set goals for myself”.
Now, she is working from home and also boughta sewing machine. She gets order in bulk forstitching of blouses and simultaneously she isdoing the alteration work also. Her income is Rs.
3,000 - 4,000 per month which helps her tosupport her family.

She enrolled in the garment stitching course andwas trained on various techniques of stitching
clothes such as how to operate a sewing
machine, different types of stitching, etc. Initiallyshe did find it difficult picking up the various
techniques but the trainer at the centre provided

Dream to Lead35

“Everyone has the right to fulfill their
dreams. If something of your choice is not
happening today, it will surely happen
tomorrow just keep making efforts towards
it”

Name: Pooja Lavar
Age: 20 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: 9th standard passed
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs. 6000-7000 per month

Dreams unlimited!
Pooja suffered from anaemia because of which she missed classes in the school regularly. Her parents
were unable to afford her treatment and therefore had to drop out from school.
She loved stitching and always dreamt of opening her own boutique. There was no lack of talent but there
were a lot of roadblocks such as lack of required skills, no one to guide her and her family's financial

36 Dream to Lead

condition.
Completely engrossed in her family and thehousehold work, Pooja was confined to herhouse and started to lose confidence. She
decided to come out of this situation and started
altering clothes from her home. People living
nearby started coming to her and she started
earning INR 200 per month. But she wanted toscale it up for which professional guidance was
required.
While doing alteration work, she met ourmobilizer who told her about the “Kaushal se
Aajeevika” programme which offers skill courses
to youth. Pooja became curious and showedinterest in visiting the centre. On visiting thecentre and interacting with the trainer involved,
she was motivated to undertake the training andenrolled herself.

enterprise development. The training gave her
the vision to scale up her business. During thetraining she clarified all her doubts and gained
the confidence to open her own boutique.
She then bought a sewing machine for herself
and started getting orders from many people.
Pooja now earns Rs. 6,000-7,000 per month. “At
the time of weddings and festivals, I get a lot oforders that I don't have any time for householdwork”.
Pooja is now a confident and independent girlalso helping her family financially.

Pooja was a quick learner since she waspracticing stitching for a long time from herhome. She mastered the skills and also stitchedmany clothes during her training period. Since
she was interested in setting up her own
boutique she was also given training on

Dream to Lead

37

“One should always take forward the skills
already there in them. It gives you theconfidence to achieve anything in life”

Name: Laxmi Khatediya
Age: 21 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs. 4000-5000 per month

My life, my rules!
An ambitious young girl, Laxmi was a Bachelors in Science. She always dreamt of setting up her own
business. She wanted to study further but due to her family's financial crisis she could not. Laxmi, aforward-thinking girl wanted to live life on her own terms. When her family asked her to drop the studies
and earn to support the family, she was very disheartened.

38 Dream to Lead

But she did not lose hope. She started taking
home tuitions to earn money but was not happy.
She applied for various jobs but could not get
through any as she lacked the skills andqualifications. While searching for a suitable job,she met the team of “Kaushal se Aajeevika” whotold her about the program and the opportunities
it provided to youth. After going through thedetails of the various courses being offered bythem, she enrolled for garment stitching.

After successfully completing the training, Laxmi
opened a stitching shop near her home. She also
advertisement by putting a small hoarding.
People loved her work and she started to getorders in bulk, earning INR 4,000-5,000 per
month.
She now wants to expand her stitching businessand save money for higher studies.

A regular at classes, she already knew the basics
of stitching, therefore, it was easier for her tolearn the techniques. “She is a keen learner andalways had innovative ideas,” her trainers said.
She was given training on how to cut cloth,
operate a sewing machine, make different typesof blouses- Laxmi learned all this with great
accuracy. She also took training on enterprisedevelopment and soft skills. From here, she got
an idea for starting her own business and how
she can attract customers.

Dream to Lead39

“I feel strong and empowered as I can
support my family. Every girl should work
for as she has a full right to make a bright
future”

Name: Kamini Rathore
Age: 18 years
Location: Meghnagar
Educational Qualification: Bachelors of Arts
Course: Garment stitching
Salary: Rs. 5000-6000 per month

Positivity galore!
Kamini was desperate to break the cycle of poverty and be self-reliant. An optimistic girl, she was full of
positivity despite facing a lot of problems since childhood, financial crunch being the most critical. Her
mother, the only earning member used to stitch clothes to make ends meet and she made all the efforts for
Kamini to complete her bachelors.

40 Dream to Lead

But as luck would have it, Kamini's mother losther eye sight and their financial condition
worsened. Kamini started stitching clothes tomeet the daily needs but the income was notenough.

sessions on Enterprise development in which she
was given ideas on how to set up her businessand expand it. Post training, the number oforders went up and with that her income. She
now earns between INR 5,000-6,000 per month.

Kamini knew basic stitching but wanted to learn
more so that she could expand her work and earnmore. She was discussing this with her friend
who told her about “Kaushal se Aajeevika”
programme which trains youth. Kamini
immediately went to the centre and took all theinformation regarding garment stitching course.
Trainers told her about the course curriculum
and assured her of employment upon completionof the course. Kamini couldn't be happier. This iswhat she was looking for.

Kamini now supports her family financially, andwishes to open her own shop and further scale
up her business. Her mother and the trainers areher constant guide. Armed with knowledge andskills, she is able to give innovative ideas andsuggestions to her customers.

During her training, she learned everything very
quickly and was happy to learn how to stitch
suits, kurtis, frocks, palazzos, etc. Her work wasappreciated by her trainers and upon successful
completion of the training, Kamini was also given

Dream to Lead41

“This course has changed my life
completely. It gave an opportunity to
become independent and empowered. I feelI can fly high and live life as per my choice”

Name: Poonam Bhuriya
Age: 22
Location: Meghnagar
Educational qualification: 9th passed
Course: Garment Stitching
Salary: Rs. 3000-4000 per month

It's never too late!
Girls like Poonam are taught not to dream of a career or job. Unable to clear her class 10 exams, she
dropped from school as her family was not supportive. She started helping her mother in the household
work and at 19, she got married. Busy in her new life with so many responsibilities, she had no time forherself but deep in heart she always wanted to study further and be independent.

42 Dream to Lead

Mother of two, aged four and two she wasalways fearful of marriage. But had no choice andhad to give in to marriage. She loved stitchingdifferent kinds of clothes for her children in her
free time. She always dreamt of opening her own
stitching shop but due to lack of support from herfamily, confidence and resources, she was unable
to do so.
One day while she was in the market, she met the
project mobilizing team who were educating
people about “Kaushal se Aajeevika” program
and the different skill courses it offered to theyouth to help them gain employment. She got
interested in the garment stitching course. But
the road ahead was not easy; as her family was
not supportive. But she convinced her husband
and joined the course.
She learned to stitch various kinds of garments
during training she learned but she enjoyedstitching children's clothes the most. “Poonam's
enthusiasm to learn different styles of stitching

made a very positive and active environment
during the classes”, said one of the trainers.
With this training, Poonam was also introduced
to the sessions of Enterprise development which
included modules on how to set up your own
business, resources and knowledge required.
This training helped her to gain confidence
required to set her own stitching shop and also
the various steps involved in opening a shop.
Upon completion of the training, Poonam boughta sewing machine and started stitching fromhome. She was the only person in her nearby
villages who was stitching clothes for children
upto the age of five. Soon her work started
getting appreciation and she started to received
large orders. Beside stitching clothes forchildren, she was also stitching blouses andpetticoats. Poonam started earning Rs.3,0004,000 per month and acquired new confidence intalking to others and taking her decisions.

Dream to Lead43

“I always wanted to live my life on myconditions. Hardwork and dedication are
the key mantra for success”

Name: Shanti Vasuniya
Age: 22
Location: Meghnagar
Educational qualification: 10th passed
Course: Garment Stitching
Salary: Rs. 5000-6000 per monthWork first!
Forward-thinking Shanti believes in gender equality and believes men and women should equally share
the responsibilities. She got married at 18, had three kids but continued working from home-stitching
clothes.
A class 10 dropout, she left school as her parents wanted her to get married. But she was clear, she won't

44 Dream to Leadlet go of her individuality and therefore
continued working. She always wanted to pursue
higher studies and work in Government sector
but due to her family's financial crisis andresponsibilities she could not pursue.

She also attended the training on Enterprisedevelopment after the completion of skill
training where she gained knowledge to open
her own shop. She also learned how to deal withcustomers and ways to expand her business.

Poonam knew her strength was in stitching but
she lacked the knowledge to expand her work.
She looked for various training courses but could
not enrol because of high fees and the timings
also didn't suit her. One day the mobilising teamof “Kaushal se Aajeevika” program was in her
locality educating people about the various
courses being offered at their centre.

After the completion of her training, she opened
her stitching ship with her friend. They
distributed pamphlets and hung hoardings toreach to more people. She has become famous in
her village and the villages nearby. Shanti is now
earning INR 5,000-6,000 per month and is quite
happy.

She enrolled for garment stitching course andlearned to stitch different kinds of garments. She
was already aware of the basics of stitching so
the course helped her to learn the more complex
techniques easily. She also helped herbatchmates as she was quite experienced in thisfield.

Garment stitching course under the “Kaushal se
Aajeevika” programme not only gave her an
identity as a person but also gave her theconfidence to reach new heights.

Dream to Lead

45

The UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh works in collaboration withthe state government to support it to make strategic shifts and help
accelerate and sustain progress towards the Millennium Development
Goals. UNICEF also works with various departments, district
administrations, elected representatives, NGOs, the mass media, andwomen, youth and children's organizations to realize the rights ofchildren of Madhya Pradesh.
In partnership with the government and civil society, successfulmodels in health, nutrition, education, wise water management,
sanitation, decentralized planning have been developed and aredelivering results for children and women. UNICEF in Madhya Pradesh
has a strong partnership with the media both in the government andprivate spheres.