28-year-old Anuradha spends three hours a day in sewing class. She spends the rest of the day filling orders for salwar suits, sari petticoats, and intricate embroidery. Just six months ago, she had no income or training, and today is earning and feeling confident about future.

 

“I wanted to learn a skill I could use to improve my livelihood,” she says about her motivation for enrolling in the program.

 

Since losing both her parents a few years ago, she and her siblings have been supported by her uncle. Anuradha is working on changing that. She hopes to eventually open up her own boutique, and to one day teach other women how to sew. Along with an opportunity to earn an income, learning how to sew has given Anuradha a sense of empowerment.

 

“I have become confident. I feel like I can go anywhere and do anything now,” she says.

 

Other graduates of the program feel the same way. “Since I started sewing, I am able to pay for my own expenses and help support my family,” says 20-year-old Janki. “I can make my own way and I am inspired to dream big for the future.”