A group of women who do not have a strong academic background are being trained in a beautician course so they can earn a livelihood out of it.
Most of the women have studied till Class VIII, IX or X.
The NGO that has initiated the course conducted a survey to select the women for the course.
The training, free of cost, is for six months.
The beautician course provides them with vocational training that will help them sustain themselves or their families.
“We are training women in the age group of 18 to 45 years who do not have any other skill or source of income,” said Arjun Dutta, president of NGO Calcutta Social Project.
This will open up avenues for the women to make home visits for beauty and hair treatments because many people prefer personal beauticians rather than going to a salon, he said.
“Additionally, we are providing them with a room at one of our centres where they can ask customers to come for various treatments,” said Dutta.
Being new to the field, the support of an organisation will increase their acceptability in the market, he said.
Calcutta Social Project will also provide the women — who are from financially marginalised families — the seed equipment to help them start earning initially.
Hardships for many of the women have gone up in the pandemic because either they or the men in the families lost their sources of income.
Many of them have found it difficult to find jobs during the pandemic.
“After the training, if I manage to get some clients I will be able to earn. Getting work is not easy and a skill might just help me to sustain myself,” said Namita Kamath, 22. Her father is a gardener. “My father’s sole income is not enough to run the family,” Kamath said.
Dutta said that initially, members of the NGO’s governing body or those known to them will help them make contacts and get clients.
The NGO also has a crafts centre that trains women in tailoring and handicrafts. The beautician course is another skill training that has now been added.