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Helping sex workers chart a new course towards bright future

An NGO is providing beauty course to 25 FSWs of Budhwar Peth and PMC is funding the cause.

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As a young woman carefully applies strokes of mehendi on her client’s hair, beautician Leena Khandekar gently taps her on the hand to correct her faulty method. Gathered here are 25-odd students who are enrolled for the basic learner’s module of beautician course run by her academy.

A regular beauty course, the difference lies in her students, who are all female sex workers (FSWs) training to be beauticians at the Community Learning Centre (CLC) in Budhwar Peth.

Started by NGO Pathfinder International (PI) as an attempt to help FSWs find a common place to network, the CLC started short term vocational certificate courses in beauty parlour services, stitching and basic computer skills from January 16 that currently teaches 25-odd students.

“There is a need for vocational training of these women not merely for sake of alternate livelihood, but building their confidence as well,” said TK Jayarajan, senior technical specialist, Pathfinder
International.

And the employability skills of these trained FSWs are high, said Khandekar.

“I even offered a few girls to work with me but they refused. They want to work in this area itself or go back to villages and start their salons. Hence, besides skills, I am also teaching them about low-cost options, how to get finance etc,” she said.

Such has been the impact of the programme, that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is now funding the project for six months. The girls are also likely to get a certificate from PMC on completion of the course endorsing their skills.

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