Women become financially self-sufficient through tailoring and computer classes.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (April 21, 2025) Bosco Education & Skill Training Center for Women, part of the Konkan Development Society in the Gadag district, Karnataka, India, offered skills training to vulnerable women thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. There were 290 women who took part in the training.
The women, aged 18-35, took tailoring and computer classes to help improve their life circumstances. The initiative is part of the self-help groups that Salesians developed to help women become financially self-sufficient and be able to better care for their families.
One of the beneficiaries is a woman with four children, including one child with physical disabilities. Her husband’s earnings are low and she has to be home to care for the children. Through the training, she has been able to work from home stitching clothing and now earns enough money to contribute financially to the household.
Salesian missionaries living and working in India and in more than 130 countries around the globe are focused on achieving gender equality through rights training, education and workforce development programs targeted specifically for women and girls. These programs strive to empower women and girls by providing opportunities for education and training that lead to livable wage employment and their independence from violence and exploitation.
“Salesian missionaries provide educational programs to help ensure that women and girls in poverty and with little access to education have the skills needed for employment,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “The goal is to help people become self-sufficient, which aids their families and communities.”
India has the world’s fourth largest economy but more than 22% of the country lives in poverty. About 31% of the world’s multidimensionally poor children live in India, according to a report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.
India’s youth face a lack of educational opportunities due to issues of caste, class and gender. Almost 44% of the workforce is illiterate and less than 10% of the working-age population has completed a secondary education. In addition, many secondary school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s changing job market.
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About Salesian Missions
Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.