Tbasua Praveen is the sixth child in a Muslim family. She has four elder sisters and one elder brother. All of her sisters are married, and her brother is working as a box boy under a contractor in the Indian Railways. Her father worked in Railways as a Diesel Assistant and has retired recently. The family lives in a railway quarter. Praveen’s father gets a monthly pension of Rs 5000.

Praveen has studied in an Urdu medium school. Then she continued her studies through distance learning and is a Master of Arts in Urdu Literature from the Maulana Abdul Kalam Open University, Hyderabad. This sincere and dedicated girl then underwent a Computer Hardware training course at one of DA’s centres, after which she felt the need for learning the basics of computers as well. So she then did a basic course in computers with our second batch. Recently, she has also undergone the vehicle driving training in our sixth batch.

When asked how much was the training was useful to her, Tbasua Praveen says that both the computer courses have been very useful to her and now she has started installing computers for others. She gets the products from Hyderabad and installs the software as per the requirement of the customers. Presently, she earns Rs 5000 for every computer that she installs. She hopes for financial support for installing the computers. She also wishes to sell computers on an installment basis. She informed DA that by the end of 2009, she will try to install at least eight more computers. When asked about the usefulness of vehicle driving course, she says she intends to start a training school for learners in the near future. Her brother helps her in all possible ways. Tbasua Praveen is aspiring for a better future. She is the only woman candidate who has undergone the training on motor vehicle driving. It is indeed a feat for a Muslim girl.

Heena Kousar was our trainee in the Beautician course. Having lost her father when she was very young, Heena has three elder sisters and three elder brothers. The youngest in her family, she studied up to intermediate level and then underwent a training on the basics of computer/ tally/photo shop at the Islamic Institute in Wadi. She is running a tuition centre for school-going children at her home in the evenings. Having completed DA’s course in beautician training, Heena started a beauty parlour in her home itself. She invested Rs 5000 in buying the necessary equipment and products. In her endeavour, she has got positive support from her family members. She says that although only a few people are coming to her beauty parlour at the moment, she has high hopes for future customers and earnings.

Vijaya is presently undergoing her training in Tailoring at DA’s training centre. Her husband Gawpath Roth he is working as a gang man in the Indian Railways. Her family lives in the Railway Colony, Wadi. This trainee has three daughters and one son. Her oldest daughter Jothi recently underwent our Beautician course and has started her own centre at home. Vijaya’s other children are going to school. After joining DA’s tailoring course, Vijaya bought a new sewing machine. Now she has started stitching clothes for her children, as also doing some small stitching work for her neighbours. She is confident that in future she will get more orders from her neighbours. Vijaya told us that the course was very useful to her in learning a new trade; apart from the earnings she hopes for in the future, it has also increased her self confidence in herself. q