: Members of the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India (formerly known as Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh-Aleap) have cultivated a habit of greeting one another with ‘Vandemataram.’
Not that they are overcome with a sudden rush of patriotism; they are out to promote their ‘Vande Mataram’ brand of products in a big way.
Vande Mataram is an Aleap India initiative launched in association with the Union Ministry of Textiles, under the Integrated Skill Development Scheme for the textiles and apparel sector.
The Aleap India is implementing the programme in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka States through its 200-odd centres.
The two-month-long training course is monitored through biometrics and aims at training 40,500 women in different skills in the garments, jute and handicrafts sectors in batches for a period of three years.
“Vandemataram is an effective tool through which we are trying to reach out to women and equip them with the wherewithal to enhance their economic, educational and social status,” said K. Rama Devi, founder president of Aleap India.
At the end of the course, the trainees find placements or become self-employed and their development is monitored periodically.
“We have so far imparted training to 30,000 women, which includes Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) meant to scale up entrepreneurial abilities such as inculcation, development and polishing of skills needed to establish and successfully run an enterprise,” says Kavita Rajesh, treasurer of Aleap India.
‘Amazing transformation’
“The transformation the trainees undergo at the end of the two-month training programme is amazing. Each batch comprises 25 members. All of them can’t be entrepreneurs. But in every batch, at least five take to entrepreneurship and absorb the rest in their enterprise. The biggest advantage is they don’t invest much and get MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd.) loans to immediately start their production units,” says Ms. Kavita.
Motivating women to walk the less trodden path is a challenge, she admits. “But once they experience growth, there is no turning back.”
The Aleap India is almost through the training programme which will end in March 2017.
Women in the 18-45 age group are eligible for the skill development programme. “Once we had this lady from a rural background arguing with us saying we must have the leverage of age till 50 years. Her logic was that women are free only after 50,” she says with a smile.
