Educating and empowering a woman is the first step towards her safe and secure future. And ensuring livelihoods of women is a vital step towards this empowerment. However, it is not just enough to create jobs. We need to make sure that women, and youth in general, possess the necessary skills to not just find a job but also sustain it. Smile Foundation is working towards this sustainable livelihood for thousands of the country’s youth through the STeP initiative. Here are some of our success stories in creating livelihoods for women.
Shivani Tiwari
When Shivani joined the STeP course, she was an introvert. She lacked confidence while speaking. Through the course, she developed good interpersonal skills and her English communication also improved.
Career counselling sessions helped map a path for her future. The financial literacy course of the programme helped her in managing her savings as well.
Now Shivani is working with Paymaster as a Customer Service Executive earning Rs 12,000 per month and good incentives. Her most recent achievement was winning the employee of the month award!
Priyanka Shirke
Priyanka belongs to an underprivileged family from Mumbai. Her father is a carpenter and her mother is a homemaker. She has completed her graduation in commerce. Priyanka wanted to pursue her master’s but due to financial issues she decided to pursue her career from her own earnings.
Priyanka also realized the importance of finding a job in order to support her family. Due to the pandemic and national lockdown, she was unable to find a suitable job.
Priyanka’s goal was to begin earning as soon as possible, so that she could contribute to her family’s income and pursue further education. She decided to improve her core employability skills. She took a step forward to join four months of online STeP training. Through the course, Priyanka received training specific to Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI).
The training has taught her to communicate more effectively and confidently. She also learnt interview and presentation skills.
Priyanka has now secured a job as Junior Office Processing Executive at HDB Financial services with the salary of Rs 14984 per month.
Nisha Chauhan
Belonging to a middle-class family, Nisha is 20 years old and has studied up to 12th standard. Due to her family’s financial problems, she wanted to work.
Nisha began looking for a job after completing HSC. She wanted to help her family financially and support the education of her siblings as well her own education.
Unfortunately, due to lack of confidence, poor communication skills, she was not able to get a job until she found out about Smile Foundation’s health care training programme from a friend. Nisha enrolled with STeP immediately.
After successful completion of training, she got a job as GDA at Care and Cure clinic and is now earning Rs. 10200 per month. She is happy that her contribution is helping her father meet the needs of the family.
