Founder’s Note
Geda Bai Sen, from Bijawar distict, Madhya Pradesh always used to be wary of using smartphones and accessing the internet as well. Even though she was very interested in tailoring, it used to be difficult for her to try new designs. In order to learn the techniques of new and complicated designs, sometimes she would ask for help from other people which always made her feel dependent. Most of the times, she would be forced to refuse to take up work that required intricate or complicated tailoring techniques. Soon, she shared her ordeal with Uma Sen, the Internet Saathi for the district.
Promising Geda to help her conquer her fears of the internet, Uma began teaching her how to use a smartphone. Uma focused on teaching her how to use basic necessary apps but she focused strongly on YouTube. She wanted Geda to confidently start accessing tailoring videos which would help her in building her career.
Soon enough, Geda developed the confidence to access the internet as well as search for videos that would be beneficial for her. She started using YouTube to learn various techniques of tailoring and was able to explore different designs for kurtis and blouses. Now Geda is no more at the mercy of anyone else and is able to accept work which she earlier would have refused. She feels extremely self-reliant and resourceful. In fact, she had never expected that the six months training received under the Internet Saathi Programme would bring so many positive changes in her life. The new skills that she has learnt have helped her make more money. She has also started making financial contributions to her family and has a valuable say in every matter. Geda Bai also has decided to buy her own smartphone with the money that she has saved to make her work easier and also to continue learning.
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