One of the oldest forms of print-making, serigraphy or silk-screen painting involves fixing an ink-blocking stencil onto a woven mesh fabric to reproduce an image. Serigraphy is a fancy term for silkscreen printing, coming from “seri,” which is Latin for “silk,” and “graphos,” which is Ancient Greek for “writing.”

Under National Rurban Mission and Rural Development Panchayat Raj Department, Govt of Tamil Nadu, the Importance of Literacy and training program was implemented in 7 Rurban Gram Panchayat – Vaniyangudi, Kanjirangal, Idaiyamelur, Arasani muthupatti, Kottagudi kilpatti, Sakkandhi, Cholapuram, including 18 cluster villages in Sivagangai Block, Sivagangai District. This program was carried out by VOICE TRUST NGO Madurai to MGNREGS Workers (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) .Smt Majula, Integrated Cluster Manager, Mr Kesavan Deputy Manager and Mr T Murugesan, Managing Director,Voice Trust inaugurated the program. The Awareness and Training Program was carried out from 19th November 2020 to 27th November 2020. This program enabled learners to acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary for being responsible citizens; it also supports them in shaping their own path of development and has had a positive impact on the self-esteem and confidence of the participants, especially on women who have leadership roles in their community. In addition, the program provided an opportunity for participants to engage in lifelong learning on practical aspects of their daily life. The program not only eradicated illiteracy by providing basic education but also ensured vocational skills and equivalency education. An overall of 800 women were benefitted through this program. The concepts in various adult literacy programs such as Rural Functional Literacy, State Adult Education Program, Non-Formal Education for the learners, Mass Program of Functional Literacy, Total Literacy Campaign, Post Literacy, Continuing Education Campaign and Equivalency Program were implemented by our voice Trust during this program.

At Voice Trust Madurai (Education), we believe in literacy as the foundation of lifelong learning and education. People who cannot read or write experience difficulties with simple everyday tasks such as reading the label of a medicine bottle, filling in a job application or understanding traffic sign. When we help someone to acquire literacy skills, we are empowering them with better opportunities in life and breaking the poverty cycle. Literacy, as part of education, is a fundamental human right.

Voice Trust conducted training on“Herbal and Medicinal plants cultivation” for 300 women of various Self-help groups in and around Madurai with support from Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), Govt of Tamilnadu. Mr. Sambath, IFS, District Forest Officer, Dindigul was the Chief Guest and by T. Murugesan, Founder, Voice Trust felicitated the Trainees. Eminent Resource Persons handled the training sessions. They explained how to develop our economic growth through cultivation of Herbal & Medicinal Plants by way of Organic Farming.

This Program was organised in collaboration with DRDA, Virudhunagar for the benefit of rural people. The Rural Sanitary Mart is an outlet dealing with the materials, hardware and designs required for the construction of not only sanitary latrines but also other sanitary facilities, such as soakage and compost pits, vermi-composting, washing platforms, certified domestic water filters and other sanitation & hygiene accessories required for individuals, families and the environment in the rural areas. The main aim of having a RSM is to provide materials, services and guidance needed for constructing different types of latrines and other sanitary facilities, which are technologically and financially suitable to the area. Production Centers are the means to improve production of cost effective affordable sanitary materials.

Women empowerment through self-reliance and financial independence can be achieved by providing vocational training, through which women can either start up something of their own or take- up a job.

Voice Trust since 1998 have been organizing Vocational tailoring skill training to women from economically/ weaker background sections to make women self-sufficient and confident and to provide livelihood support to earn income. Stitching garments is one job that remains till end of the mankind. Further, basic tailoring skills enable women to work from home, they can continue in their traditional role as homemaker and yet earn. Tailoring is something which women can immediately start right from their homes upon completion of their course. Interested women are trained for embroidery, arts and designing skills as well as tailoring. The course duration is 6 months for basic cutting & sewing, next the participants can progress to the next level which is training in detailed art & creativity.

The Tailoring training project is a very prestigious project for us and was initiated by Voice Trust with an objective to empower Women and build skills in tailoring. After the completion of training each batch of women start their self-employment units, some of them going to nearby textiles garment shops. Trained women get orders from neighbourhoods to stitch different type of petty coats, blouses, zari work on sarees, school children uniforms. They learn skillful training to become self-reliant and self-independent. Due to these extraordinary vocational skills, women are able to send their children to schools regularly and provide educational support in time. Every time we sponsor 6 months skill training in vocational tailoring training course for 25 women in a batch. Both theory and practical classes are conducted, giving sufficient raw material like threads, needles, clothes and scissors. For every batch, course completion certificate and organizing orientation course on marketing skills are conducted. Precisely, the project focus is to support poor women who are keen and willing to improve their family conditions by an increased income by undertaking suitable self-employment scheme. Most of these trained women have started their own tailoring shop in their respectivelocalities.