The team recalled that women members were engaged in a number of income generation activities for the betterment of their lives against all odds before ICT based interventions. They had been resilient against hardships, sometimes as acute as earthquake and chronic as persistent droughts. Banking on the openness of community to new ideas, SSKs were envisaged as the hub of enterprise for sustainable livelihood through value addition in present occupation and development of newer skills. The activities in the villages were organized about the SSKs and they had added a new cohesiveness to the effort of enhancing the livelihoods of SEWA members. The team had to present a plan to the Executive Committee for its replication across all villages where SEWA operated.

While Ms. Monaben saw the transition of ICT initiative as capacity building of women from “can they” to “they can”, some pieces of the jigsaw remained unresolved. Ms. Reemaben Nanavaty impressed the need to improve the management and efficiency of institutions like SSK. The issues involved use of appropriate technology in village settings. Cost-related issues hindered adoption of expensive equipments in village setting. There were additional issues of maintenance and upkeep of equipments apart from safety issues. However SEWA was always guided by words of Ms. Elaben Bhatt “Give them the best technology and facilities as whenever given a choice they will want the best.”

SEWA was also conscious about the need to have financial sustainability at different levels while ramping up the ICT operations. One idea was to have these SSKs emerge as entrepreneurial hubs where the trained persons could start SSKs in new areas. This would also provide an opportunity for second and third generation members of SEWA to move into occupations other than the traditional ones. However in order to establish and maintain infrastructure, funds would be a major issue.