The Membership Education
programme, Sabhya Shikshan, has become the backbone of SEWA Academy’s leadership
development programme. This programme, the most basic and introductory programme of SEWA,
was initiated as a means for SEWA to create a sense of unity and direction, awareness or
SEWA’s values and ideology particularly as the organization are rapidly expanding. By
building identity, unity and an understanding of collective action among SEWA members, the
programme plays a central role in creating the deep roots that makes the SEWA movement
strong.
Through the training,
members learn to identify themselves as women workers and come to understand the structure
of SEWA and their role within the organization. They also understand the contribution of
women in the Indian Economy, collective strength by organising, awareness of their power
as women in the society, and nation at large. By this awareness they learn the values of
unity and organising.
Training is held in the
villages by trained member-trainers. Since its inception in 1998, more than 16,000 members
from nine districts in Gujarat have completed the training.
