Code for Empowerment: Shopian Woman's Tech Triumph

Jamia Gul, a young woman from the village of Pratapora in Shopian district, is making waves with her entrepreneurial success story. Two years ago, Jamia participated in a social mobilisation programme organised by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) to promote the UMEED self-help group scheme. Inspired, she formed a self-help group with other young women in her village and applied for financial assistance to start her own business.
Jamia received Rs 6 lakh to set up a computer institute in the Batapora area of Shopian. Her institute has been a huge success so far, providing vital computer and IT education and skills to the local community. Jamia has become financially independent while also empowering others through technology and education.

“Besides assistance, the NRLM guided me properly. I also participated in various orientation sessions organised by the department, which significantly paid off ”, she said.
The institute over the last two years has contributed substantially to the local community's skill development and technological advancement besides employing at least 4 to 6 persons.
In 2022, the institute trained 90 youth under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana ( PMVY).
"These youth were trained under the Social Media Influencer Category of the scheme,"  said Gul's brother Adil Hussain Hajam, who helps Gul in running the institute.
PMVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). It aims at providing youth with industry relevant skill training to secure better livelihood opportunities.
Similarly, around  60 youth completed their diploma courses from the institute in the same year with 44 of them securing immediate job placements.
" They work as data entry operators, office assistants, and computer operators with private firms and business outlets", said Hajam.
He said that they were earning a decent livelihood and in future, they were bound to get some better opportunities in different sectors.
Apart from that, the institute also offered customer sales and executive training to at least 120 youth from the area.
Gul said that since the inception of the institution, hundreds of youth enrolled themselves on different courses and received their diplomas and certificates.
"Now most of them can earn their livelihood," she said.
Gul said that there was a flurry of skill development schemes offered by the government that could empower the rural youth and make them financially self-independent.
“The start-up ecosystem has witnessed unprecedented growth over the last few years and the people could start their ventures by availing different easily available schemes”, she said.
Gul’s efforts were also acknowledged by the administration and she was felicitated during the annual winter festival Jashn-e-Chili Kalan in 2022.
Irfan Bashir, District Program Manager, Financial Inclusion JKNRLM ( UMEED) told Greater Kashmir that the department provides all guidance to rural women and involves them in economic activities, ensuring significant and sustainable increase in their income.
The larger goal of the Mission is to alleviate poverty by building robust grassroots level institutions. It encourages women in rural areas to achieve self-reliance and financial independence. Like Gul, thousands of women have carved out their success stories in the economic realm of Jammu and Kashmir.