Against All Odds, Gender Equality and Empowerment

Against All Odds, Gender Equality and Empowerment

Laxmi Devi has opened Usha Silai School with the support of Balrampur Foundation through its project Nai Umeed.

After her husband’s death, she was trapped in debt. Laxmi Devi had to sell all things, including jewellery. She had nothing in hand except both children. She has very less land. It became very difficult to fulfil her family’s daily requirements. She knew some stitching skills and started stitching clothes in her village to run her household.

Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, her work was stopped, and again she spent all their savings during this tough period and was left with nil. For Laxmi, this was just the beginning. Aspiring for a better livelihood, she began looking for additional income sources that would also interest her.

Laxmi learned about the Balrampur Foundation initiative for women to help establish Usha – BPF Silai Schools for nearby villages. Since; Laxmi possessed stitching skills, she quickly enrolled on the program. She is now a certified Usha – BPF Silai School teacher and trains other women and girls. Laxmi earns up to INR 12,000 by training, stitching and selling cosmetics at her shop. She has purchased cosmetic and stitching material worth INR 10,000. She has also invested approximately INR 30,000 in her shop to scale the business.

Laxmi stated, “Silai school has played a significant role in my life. I can now afford better health care and education facilities for her children. I have also reinvested the money I earned from this business to scale up.”