Seema overcame the curbs and confines of her patriarchal and very conservative family of village Jutada in Rajasthan’s Dausa District, to acquire training, and later employment, towards creating a fulfilling life for herself.  The daughter of a civil contractor, her battle was not against crippling poverty but a feudal mindset that believed it was not appropriate or necessary for girls to acquire higher technical education or to pursue a career.

A bright and forward-looking girl, Seema, after completing her graduation, wanted to undergo a vocational skills training so she could get herself a job. But she was only allowed to enroll for a ‘hobby’ course. But her life took a turn for the better when she met the JIVICA – MAST team at the SNS Foundation’s vocational center. They were mobilizing girls for placement-oriented market aligned skills training (MAST) in 2- wheeler auto mechanics, sponsored by the American India Foundation. Excited by the prospects, she doggedly worked to convince her family, including her two younger engineer brothers, to permit her to enroll for the training. On a visit to the JIVICA – MAST center she met other girls pursuing the same course, as also some alumni girls, who had found well-paying jobs. Sharing these examples, she convinced her family and is now undergoing the technical and soft skills training at the centre.