Teacher Training Rural Sewing Centers

With the opening of 3 new Rural Village Sewing Centers, Shining Light held a teacher’s training for the local teacher and leaders of these centers. The passion that these women have to help their neighbors and see them empowered is contagious. We are so excited to watch the overflow of confidence and practical skills pour out into their communities in 2021.

“I was not evening dreaming about getting training and one day I will be one of the candidates to teach these skills to the women in my village.”   – Azra Btool

 “I am Azra Btool,  and I come from a small village called Goach. The people of this village are extremely poor and almost 98% women are illiterate. There are only a few who are educated. Shining Light NGO’s presence in my village has been the only reason why our young ones are getting an education in my village.

I was not evening dreaming about getting training and one day I will be one of the candidates to teach these skills to the women in my village. I have now received a one-month advanced training in sewing and cutting. I would be honored to start a sewing center in my village. I am very sure many women will stand on their feet if they get a year of training in sewing and cutting. These ladies are mostly busy in agriculture and they have a miserable life. If Shining Light gives me a chance, I will try to make a difference with the utmost integrity and honesty.

Today I am so happy that in front of hundreds of ladies I have received my training certificate and I am so thankful to the Shining Light management team for choosing me for this training. I have been victimized by male dominance in the past,  I have been divorced two times and I am broken inside. I feel that I am worthless, and I sometimes pray that I should die instead of living a miserable life.  Again, thank you for choosing me and for considering me for this job.”

“Two years ago, I had no value in my village and I was like just an ordinary lady. However, people respect me now and I have been helping my husband bring in a reasonable earning.”   – Meema

“I am Meema and I have been a student of this center but today I have been chosen for this one month advanced training. This Center has given me so much. Two years ago, I had no value in my village and I was like just an ordinary lady. However, people respect me now and I have been helping my husband bring in a reasonable earning. I stitch for others and they pay me for my work. Since I have received this advanced training, I have acquired more skills and I am now eligible to teach others. My village is one of the remote villages of Gilgit and we live up in the high pastures. The one-year training will help so many women to stand on their own feet and help their families. There are so many of them who have no skills, and they are at home doing nothing. Many in my village have asked me to start a center but I cannot do it myself and will need lots of resources to start a center. Your help to establish a center will be such a good thing for my village. Again, thank you very much for selecting me for this program.”

“I am praying hard to be a light to the women in {my home village}, it is one of the darkest places…” – Mewish

“I am Mewish and I come from a Christian background. Today I have no words to express my feelings for all the achievements and blessings God has given to me. I come from a family where my parents have been doing the work of cleaning. I come from {a remote fundamentalist village} but today I can help others. I have been trained in sewing and stitching from the WVTC Gilgit Center and today I am already earning great money sewing. I am even more excited after having this one-month WVTC Advanced teacher’s training. I am now fit to teach others. I am praying hard to be a light to the women in {my home village}, it is one of the darkest places in terms of Women Empowerment and males never encouraging women to have a role in the family. I am sure that once we start this training, these women will have an impact in their families and they will be recognized by their men. Again thankful for not forgetting me- you, the people of Shining Light have always helped me in so many ways and today I feel like I am an independent person in my decisions and earnings.”

To help provide training and launch more sewing centers  click here.