Garment Machine Operator Training- SaMi Helvetas

 

Action for Development (AfD) has rich experience in conducting Garment and Tailoring training throughout the country. In 2023 and 2024 AfD gave garment machine operator training to 240 women in collaboration with SaMi Helvetas. In 2022 alone we trained more than 800 adolescent girls and women in a 1-month long Tailoring training. These graduates who are now wage and or self-employed would be among those participants that have benefited from the Garment Operator training and the resultant overseas employment. In 2021 also we conducted employment-oriented training on Garment Operator in Province 5 for women affected by Sexual and Gender-based violence under a Norwegian Embassy-funded project. It is through these successful participants, many of whom are working in Garment industries inside the country and some abroad that AfD will increase its outreach in gathering interest for deserving candidates.​

AfD has a good network and a long-standing agreement with FNCSI primarily in terms of propagating the training that is on offer and the subsequent linkage with the job market. FNCSI by virtue of its all-Nepal outreach is strategically placed to identify eligible and interested candidates for training.  Very often the district chambers of FNCSI contact their commodity association members who in turn link interested training aspirants to the training on offer by AfD.

The training was carried out in batches of 20 with total of 12 batches in the year 2023 and 2024. The training was carried out at AfD’s own facility in Sitapaila, Kathmandu for 30 days per batch, by experienced trainers. A Coordinator was deputed full-time to manage the training and also to ensure that the trainees were well accommodated in a safe environment. For that, AfD had already penned an agreement with a reputed Girl's Hostel. AfD provided transportation in dropping off and picking up the participants from the hostel to the training center and backforth, as well as ensured hygienic food and a safe living environment.

In collaboration with SCC Manpower, the participants of SaMi Helvetas were granted a 3-year contract with two garment companies in Jordan (Classic Fashion Apparel Company and GIA Apparel Industry). Also, they were given air tickets, visas, and insurance for 4 years without any cost. Along with this, they were also given a 3-day life skills class that covered lectures on safer migration, financial management, a healthy lifestyle, mental health, and information about the destination country.

In conclusion, AfD's comprehensive Garment and Tailoring training programs, in collaboration with SaMi Helvetas and other partners, have significantly impacted the lives of women in Nepal. Through strategic alliances with FNCSI and meticulous logistical arrangements, AfD has facilitated skill development and overseas employment opportunities for hundreds of women, empowering them to thrive both domestically and internationally. The provision of essential life skills further enhances their preparedness for success in foreign workplaces. AfD's commitment to sustainable empowerment remains unwavering, promising continued positive transformation in the lives of Nepalese women.​

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