We are pleased to announce that we have completed another batch of our sewing training program and we have started another batch of our sewing program with 15 girls . With the completion of last batch, the total number of students who have been trained under this initiative has reached 250. But Open Hands Education's role doesn’t end with the completion of 6 months of training. We try to connect these young girls/women to wholesalers and retailers who buy stitched petticoat and blouses. We make sure that they are able to use their newly acquired skill to earn money.
While discussing with the students during the farewell , we observed a great difference in the confidence level of most of the girls/ women. Since the majority of them were housewives, they were accustomed to household chores and restricted themselves throughout their life. For the first time, they were feeling that they can contribute to their family in terms of money as well. Though boosting their confidence level isn’t the direct outcome of our initiative but we genuinely believe that it will help them taking a stand for themselves in the future.

With our Open Hands Education Sewing projects, we are proud to announce we have another new batch of sewing students. These 20 girls and women come from remote rural villages in under privileged areas. They are all benefiting from our advanced sewing training that is kindly offered by generous sponsorship from donors. During this training, beneficiaries will learn and develop skills in making shirts, trousers, skirts, school uniforms, Indian traditional clothing wear such as: blouses, petticoats, trousers and shirts. Sewing training will provide self-employment at their homes, can give them a daily income and will enable them to buy necessary medicines and support their ability to pay school fees for their children. We have witnessed incredible change in the lives of all the women who have passed through our classes and care. It gives personal empowerment to women and their families. Their children are often saved ftom the same poverty cycle of their parents. This is what excites us the most.
Step by step, class by class lives are changing for the better and the girls smiling and laughing faces and voices prove the success of our simple sewing programmes. We are open for donations from generous people to keep maintaining machines, buying some basic cloth and threads as a starter pack and add to guaranteeing teacher wages

Open Hands Education Sewing Training Bihar India We are happy to say after two years of stop and start with sewing training classes we now have a new teacher. A new group of girls have come into the free programme and can progress in learning essential life skills for their families. Many of these girls go on to marry and spread their knowledge to the many villages they marry into. Those who are already married living in the village, will be able to enhance family income and offer greater educational opportunities for their children.
Step by step, slowly slowly, lives can be improved. I am proud to be part of this programme by fundraising to extend and maintain continuity of this specific sewing programme. Costs are consciously kept down, as often the advanced students help the teacher with new students so it makes people’s generous donations go further. This means locals are supporting locals, not just being handed support without some effort and proud ownership in the end result. Also huge congratulations to all the girls, so far approx 180 students who have gone through their training.

We are proud the announce that since the beginiing of our organisation focussing on sewing training for women in remote areas, we have trained 75 young ladies with basic sewing skills. They can now create simple patterns for clothing creation and a few girls have begun creating their own businesses through their family support. Our teacher has done a remarkable job and we offer great appreciation for her focus and support.

We are now in the process of sending one of the senior female students to a city sewing school to learn advanced sewing skills so she might return and assist the current teacher with teaching more levels of clothing design. All the students are very excited by the prospect of upskilling to a new level. Bulbul is now enrolled and starting her journey through some kind sponsorship support.

We are very excited to announce that in June we celebrated the construction of a rooftop sewing room. This is so exciting because it enables the classes to be conducted all year round and take on more batches of girls.. It also created more space for the family who donated the use of some rooms to now live without sewing machines in every corner. This was made possible by the fundraising efforts of our Australian partner, Celia Fuller through her WOW - Whispers of Women Events. We are now focussing on updating the advanced students skills with the introduction of another highly skilled teacher who is trained in both sewing designs and Beauty therapy. This means we can add a little beauty therapy sooner than we first thought into the Dedma Village Programme. Pratigya wife of Jhulan will also begin teaching beauty therapy to a handful of girls in her new home of Sujata Village by adding her Delhi training into the help offered. Later when she has adapted to the arrival of her first child more training can occur. Our next fundraising goals will be focussed on ensuring all teachers will be paid appropriately for their skills and to keep the programmes vibrant. Making sure we have funds to cover beauty therapy training requirements and material, cotton and scissors for girls sewing packs that can be purchased by sponsors. Thankyou for keeping our Vision Alive. Jhulan Kumar -Founder

Exciting News: We have been informed by the teacher in the sewing classes held at Dedma village that our students are no longer needing to buy clothes at the local markets as they already feel confident in making their own clothes. So in only a short 4 months of training these girls are already taking huge leaps towards their future.

Privately trained Pratigya, wife of founder Jhulan Kumar has undertaken the first beginnings in Beauty Therapy training with the vision that one day in the future she might be able to show other girls some simple techniques to enhance their village life and experiences.

Due to some recent fundraising efforts we can happily announce that our primary Dedma sewing Teacher has her wages secured until the 18th of July. We are eager to secure another 6 months wages to ensure our students and families that our programmes are secured into the future. We are also seeking another teacher of different sewing skills for our advanced students and will be requiring some wages to support her once we are happy with our applicant.

One of our sponsor partners in Australia just ran an event to secure another 6 months of sewing teacher wages. We now can offer the girls training without concern for financial support until Feb 2018. I have been told that the extra funds raised will go towards our building of a roof shade structure on the top of our building we have been using. It is our vision that those funds will Cover the material and then the families of the girls and myself as the founder will complete construction in order to keep costs down and enable shade to be given as quick as possible before full summer sets in. A huge to Thankyou Celia Fuller for running one of your WOW-Whispers of Women Events supporting initiatives in different countries. Special mention to Uncle Grant for supporting mammaCelia in her event.