Bhubaneswar: An Odia pilot living abroad has set up a tailoring institute at his native place, Bolagarh, in Khurda district that has trained over 240 women since its inception in Dec 2021.“Food, clothing, and shelter are necessities. While we may not be able to provide food or housing to everyone, we can equip women with a life-long skill. By teaching them tailoring, we enable them to create their own clothing, earn and support their families. It is not just about stitching fabric — it is about stitching confidence, dignity and financial independence into their lives,” said Shilabhadra Parida, 43, the pilot, who is currently based out of Dubai.Teachers drawn from the village or nearby areas run the three-month training course,in batches of 15, for two hours on six days a week. “90% attendance is a must. Otherwise, we don’t give them the certificate,” said Parida, who runs the institute under Let’s Help Foundation, a non-profit organisation.Every month, Parida, who is now an Irish citizen, spends about Rs 10,000 on rent, trainer fee and manager’s salary. Every three months, he provides Rs 2,000 extra for scissors, notebooks, needles, machine servicing, transport cost, among others. He has a manager, Sunil Kumar Sahoo, who is paid an honorarium. Sahoo gets new admissions, buys material and solves day-to-day issues at the tailoring institute.At least 50 trained women have either started their own tailoring business from their homes or in other establishments, thus becoming economically empowered. “I earn a handsome amount by stitching clothes during my free time at home for two years. It has helped me in meeting my own expenses and supplementing my family’s income,” said Subhadra Das of Bolagarh, who is the mother of a six-year-old.Similarly, Baidehi Swain, also from Bolagarh, plans to open a shop in the market area in six-months’ time. “I want to take up more work and boost my income so that I can spend some as well as save,” she said, who has a 7-year-old daughter.
