During the first Covid-19 wave, rising unemployment became the most pressing economic problem, affecting mostly the informal economy and poorer households. State-imposed local restrictions had an equally catastrophic effect on small businesses and their staff which led to the loss of employment and income for poor households.

The Society for Development Alternatives was conducting a Women Empowerment Project in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh with Fullerton India Credit Company Limited to empower women via job training and livelihood connections, but the implementation activities had to be halted for some time. Many young people and women lost their employment because of the pandemic outbreak.

Development Alternatives then implemented measures that contributed to both the management of Covid-19 and the development of skills in order to increase the income of the target audience. Three key modifications were made in the execution and training of the programme: Sanitisation Training, Bedside Assistant Training and the Buddy Training Model.

1. Sanitisation Training: It was noted that as sanitation has become a vital element in our lives, many connected job possibilities were available as the unlock encouraged individuals to maintain their offices, houses, automobiles and their environment safe and secured from the virus. For this purpose, a ten-day training was conducted on the knowledge sharing and creating well-informed sanitised workers, with special emphasis on the symptoms of Covid-19, transmission and prevention techniques, sanitising procedures, hygiene practices and first-aid assistance. Training was conducted by a certified nurse and a trained facilitator. Market assessment and meetings with local offices, restaurant and outlets to have their facilities sanitised by skilled sanitation workers resulted in the creation of jobs and the fulfilment of the safety requirements in and around the communities. All the trained women were also given hand-holding for a month as part of the programme. Counseling and materials were provided, including a spray machine, disinfectant and a PPE kit.

2. Bedside Assistant Training: DA undertook preparations to enter te healthcare sector with stimulated discussion on the need for accelerated innovation in online learning and the delivery of skills training for a Bedside Assistant. In Chhattisgarh, 59 people, including 50 women, were trained for the role of Bedside Assistant as part of the Women Empowerment Project. The training was based on the care of individuals, particularly bedridden patients and the elderly. Aside from the normal responsibilities, a Bedside Assistant distributes medication, maintains patient records, and controls medical equipment. The programme was held in collaboration with the Vishwas Social Welfare Society. In May 2020, 50 of 59 trainees would be employed in private hospitals and Covid care centres across Chhattisgarh, receiving an average monthly salary of Rs. 8,431.

3. Buddy Model for Sewing Machine Operator’s Training: The notion of buddy training was created and launched because the centres could not be operational due to the pandemic. Under this concept, three community women were selected and recruited as facilitators in three distinct places in Jaipur with right qualification and required understanding of sewing and tailoring skills. These facilitators were primarily responsible for training other women in the community on the SMO course in their respective locations. A total of 55 women in the community have been trained in the three areas, Hassanpura, Van Vihar and Jagatpura in Jaipur, by these facilitators. The field staff performed regular inspections at all three locations to verify attendance and quality of training. The trainers and the trainees also took steps to avoid Covid-19 transmission.

These efforts are a step toward the establishment of equitable and informed communities where women make their own socio-economic choices with newly gained confidence as a result of participation in livelihood activity and increased economic levels. Thus, it leads to more mobility, increased decision-making capability, and increased self-confidence in women. ■

Ekta Kashyap
ekta@devalt.org