More than 500 trained in areas of sorting, setting stones and polishing jewellery that sells in high street

Shahina Begum might have studied only up to class 10 from a local school in Krishnagiri. Today, she sits on the board of a company that crafts jewellery lined up in showrooms in Bangalore.

Well trained in basic accounting, cash-book maintenance, Tally and elementary computers, Shahina manages to make a cool Rs10,000 every month – a far cry from her existence years ago, when getting a decent meal was hard for her family that depended on occasional work as labourers.

Shahina persuaded her parents to allow her to join Meadow, a small private company that trained local women in crafting gold and diamond jewellery. Here, she not just acquired jewellery-making skills, but also accounting and computer knowledge.

Starting at a monthly Rs2,000, she gradually worked her way up, and “now I am able to support my brother’s education,” she says.

Like Shahina, over 500 women from around Hosur are engaged in various aspects of jewellery making, including waxing, stone sorting, stone setting, polishing and so on.

While some start with an income of Rs4,000 per month, others end up earning as much as Rs11,000-13,000 with experience.

“It is satisfying to know that the jewellery we had worked on is sold through showrooms in places like Bangalore by well-known brands,” says Manju, who handles a team of 50 women, whose roles involve diamond setting and quality inspection.

What was earlier a male dominated sector with karigars from North India using their skills to craft out attractive rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces, now empowers women from poor households with little education.

“We had to convince the gram panchayats to send the women, give them technical training, and then deploy them,” says G Suresh, CEO, Meadow.

Incorporated in 1998 with 24 women, Meadow today functions like any other private company, complete with a board of directors, an executive committee, accounts department and shareholders. But unlike other companies, most of the 511 employees of Meadow, like Begum and Manju, are women.

“Women in rural areas have hardly any job opportunities.

Many are school drop-outs. Initially they made chapathis for Titan employees. We felt if their skills are upgraded, they could do well with jewellery,” says Elangovan A, manager, studded outsourcing, Titan jewellery, that has outsourced part of the jewellery making to these women.

Recently, a delegation from South Africa visited the women at Meadow, says Suresh. “They are now planning to adopt the concept in their country.”

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Bangalore> Report / by Priyanka Golikeri / Place:Bangalore, Agency:DNA / Wednesday – August 21st, 2013