The Chinar Yuva centre, Baramulla is leading women empowerment through comprehensive skill development aimed at training women in various livelihood-enhancing skills. It aims at fostering economic independence and empowerment among women.

In the quiet Baramulla village, life used to flow slowly — almost predictably. Morning prayers, clinking kitchen pots, the hum of spinning charkhas, and conversations steeped in centuries of tradition filled the air. But beneath this quiet routine, there lived thousands of unheard dreams — dreams folded away between the corners of household walls, silenced before they ever found a voice.
And then, something shifted.
A modest building opened its doors at the edge of the village, unremarkable to a stranger — but to the women of the valley, it would soon become a doorway to something greater. It was called the Chinar Yuva Centre — a name as rooted and strong as the great Chinar trees that have stood witness to the changing seasons of Kashmir for centuries.
At first, curiosity came laced with doubt. What could sewing machines and computers possibly do in a place where tradition reigned supreme? Where girls were raised to master recipes, not resumes?
But all revolutions start small — with a single step, a hesitant hand.
Rafia Tariq, whose life had never extended beyond the walls of her home, was filled with hope and expectations after she heard of tailoring and handicrafts course at the Centre.
“I just wanted to feel useful,” she said.
She began learning— the difference between fabric types, how to measure, cut, and stitch, how to design patterns inspired by traditional Kashmiri art.
At first, her stitches were shaky. Her fingers trembled. But with every apron sewn and every shawl embroidered, Rafia found her rhythm — and more importantly, her confidence.
Six months later, she was not only a certified artisan but also a proud contributor to her household income — something she had once believed impossible.
Daljeet Kour, painfully shy, enrolled in the Centre’s Digital Literacy Program, uncertain whether she could ever grasp the complexities of technology.
But step by step, guided by mentors who spoke to her with patience and encouragement, she began to learn. From basic IT skills to internet safety, from writing emails to running spreadsheets, she gradually mastered it all.
Today, she manages an online marketplace selling the handicrafts that women like Rifat Yousf
create. She's no longer the quiet girl. She teaches, manages and leads.
The magic of Chinar Yuva Centre isn’t just in the courses. It’s in the transformation of identity.
Here, women don’t just learn tailoring or tech — they learn English, they learn public speaking, they study entrepreneurship, and most importantly, they learn to see themselves as more than just caretakers.
Behind every smiling face at the Chinar Yuva Centre is a story of quiet rebellion — a challenge to centuries of limitation, made not with protest signs, but with patience, skill, and transformation.
The Centre stands not as a building, but as a symbol of what happens when opportunity meets resilience. It reminds us that true development isn’t in skyscrapers or statistics — it’s in a mother earning her first income, in a girl sending her first email, in a classroom where confidence is stitched alongside fabric.
And in the heart of a valley long known for its beauty, the real story today is not of snow or silence — but of strength.