We are very excited to have finally opened three Skills Training 4 Employment (SKIP) centres now training 90 women and girls in the 16 to 25 years age bracket, from low-income resettlement colonies of largely migrant daily-wage earners at Bawana and Sangam Vihar in West Delhi.
Workers of these communities, heavily reliant on casual and factory work, have been hit very hard by the forced lockdowns due to Covid. Many have been laid off, work is scarce and they are struggling to support their families. Large numbers of girls in the 14-16 years age group have dropped out due to family members being laid off at a time when school closures and lack of access to any alternative has meant loss of a year of schooling.
Gaining saleable skills is therefore a high priority for these girls and their families. The girls are very thankful for getting this opportunity and we expect they will work hard as their family livelihoods are now also dependent on them.
Classes are now underway in earnest with teachers strictly following standard Covid precautions, conducting temperature checks before each class, compulsory wearing of masks. Classes originally planned for 15 girls in two batches are now limited to 10 students being trained in 3 batches to effect social distancing.
