New Town/Kolkata (23 April 2026): The students of MSW Semester II, Suman Toppo and Mahwish Quadri, organized a Livelihood Skill Training Workshop on “Creative Livelihood Skills: Tote Bag Painting, Social Media Marketing & Costing Calculation” for the girl students of Udayan Care Kolkata Chapter (NGO), today 23 April 2026 in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The participants were a part of the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Programme (Shalinis) – young women from STEM backgrounds who have recently completed Class XII or are in their final year of graduation.

The program aimed to introduce tote bag painting as a viable creative livelihood skill, develop basic product design and customization abilities, provide foundational training in social media content creation and reel editing for product promotion, introduce basic costing techniques, and foster creativity alongside confidence-building.

The workshop commenced with a warm welcome by Shri. Parimal Ch Das, Co-Founder & Joint Convenor, Udayan Care followed by an introductory address by Mr. Somak Basak, Regional Manager, who emphasized the importance of acquiring livelihood skills in today’s dynamic environment. The participants actively engaged in hands-on tote bag painting, creating vibrant and artistic designs under the guidance of Ms. Asmita Dey, Assistant Program Coordinator, whose passion for art added to the learning experience.

The atmosphere throughout the session was filled with enthusiasm, creativity, and excitement. MS. Srijita Das, Fashion E-Commerce and Marketplace Growth Manager, Visual Creative and Brand Strategist, further enriched the session by guiding the participants on product presentation and digital promotion. She demonstrated effective techniques for capturing appealing product photographs and emphasized the importance of identifying a niche and target audience. She highlighted how focusing on a specific audience helps maintain a unique selling proposition (USP), rather than diluting it by trying to appeal to everyone. She also encouraged the participants to measure their growth by comparing their progress with their own past achievements instead of external benchmarks, especially on social media. Stressing the importance of working smart, she shared practical insights on how to enhance product value and command better pricing with strategic effort.

The session also included an interactive discussion covering key aspects such as sourcing, packaging, logistics, pricing, and market positioning. The participants’ queries were addressed, helping them gain clarity on how they could pursue these skills – whether as a hobby, a supplementary income source, or a full-fledged entrepreneurial venture. The program successfully underscored the importance of building confidence, creativity, and ownership over one’s work.

It not only equipped the Shalinis with practical skills but also empowered them to envision themselves as capable creators and potential entrepreneurs, ready to take informed steps towards financial independence and self-reliance.