Bihar is one of the thickly populated states with the total population of 8,29,98,509 of which 3,97,54,714are women. Most of Bihar is backward and social problems like poverty, exploitation, caste etc., are predominant in most of the places. Even now there are so many villages which are very backward and these remote places are bound by their own unnecessary norms, cultures, customs and beliefs. Social evil and afflictions have also increased the growth of Naxal movements. Taking advantage of the social evils many cults and gurus have exploited depressed and marginalized people. In many places people don’t even visit hospitals and they believe on ‘manthras’ (black magic) and giving money to the cult gurus and are exploited. Many even lose their precious lives. Population explosion, hunger and poverty are rampant. A close analysis tells that the dominating castes are constantly vigilant in thrusting the iron yoke on the weak section. Burning social problems of Bihar is becoming a regular journalistic subscription to the press. Out of this it has bound with its tradition, culture, norms, customs, and divisions among the community etc. There is no concern or care for women especially for the persecuted or neglected women. The society always thinks that woman is a burden. This attitude leads to female feticide, female infanticide, female thrown up babies etc. Apart from this those women who accept Christ as their personal Saviour have been persecuted and are many at times excommunicated from the society and even from their own family.
With this background GEMS started this tailoring unit to empower the down trodden women. This kind of development program is called SET UP (Self Employment Training Unit for Persecuted Women) on 16th January 2002.
Aims and objectives of the project:
1. To provide tailoring skill to the women who are from persecuted families
2. To provide self employment
3. To train women in handicrafts
4. To reach the people with the Gospel through the trainees
Success of Tailoring Unit:
SETUP trains persecuted women in cutting and stitching of dress materials, which become the livelihood
of many such women. Course duration is one year, during the training time, food, accommodation and medicines are given at free of cost and when they successfully finish their training they are provided with one sewing machine for their life settlement and rehabilitation. Till now SETUP has trained successfully 21 girls and provided them with one sewing machine each. Among these two of them are working in an export company, some of them are working as trainers and some are stitching at their home itself and earning money. Apart from this, handworks are also taught to them. This SETUP program for the neglected women is very fruitful and is successfully making inroads.
The Future:
We wish to establish more SETUP centers in needed places of Bihar and beyond.