Sampa Dan lives at Sarbari Village under Neturia block of Purulia District of West Bengal with her husband and one son. Her husband Laxmi Kanta Dan is a Tutor and his income is quite meagre to meet family`s need.Their son is studying in class VII.She joined embroidery classes at Literacy India in order to learn and earn to value add in family income. COVID-19 impacted their lives and Her husband’s stopped getting work , soon their savings got over and they could not even  feed themselves. Literacy India supported them with food and funding  and  along with the earning from Indha , life came back to normal. She is very happy now and feels quite proud  that she can help her family financially.

Malabati Kumar, a 25-years old hard-working Girl belongs to the Rerangtar Village within the Baghmundi block of Purulia, West Bengal. She lives with her father, who is a daily labour, and has a small land for seasonal cultivation. Malabati is interested in stitching and she started tailoring classes at the Pratappur Centre of “Literacy India.” After completing the course, she got a sewing machine from “Literacy India” and she started an at-home business and received orders from vendors (50-60 petticoats and blouses per week), and also got orders from the community. She is also work for “Indha” such as – school dress making, bag making etc. She earned quite well to support her family.

32 Years old Manju Lohar lives at Gobindapur Village within the Baghmundi block of Purulia, West. She dropped out from her study in Class IX and got married. Her husband is a Carpenter and his income is very poor to fulfil their necessary needs. They have one son who reads in school. Manju is interested in stitching and she started tailoring classes at the Pratappur Centre of “Literacy India.” After completing the course, she got a sewing machine from “Literacy India” and she started an at-home business and received orders from vendors (40-50 petticoats and blouses per week), and also got orders from the community. She earned quite well to support her family.

Amongst many villages of India, Our Artisan Mithu Das belongs to Village Sarbari ,District Purulia, West Bengal. Education is important for change and growth in any society, however skill education is missing in many parts of our country. Literacy India has its presence in Purulia over a decade empowering and educating the tribal and underserved rural communities. Full of aspirations, Mithu Das got married quite early in life without completing her high school education. She lives with her in-laws and her husband who sells vegetables in local haat. Her restlessness to grew and evolve took her to Literacy India centre , Raghunathpur, where she learnt the needlework and embroidery. Beautiful thread colours and designs changed her life. In no time she ace in her learning and & joined Literacy India`s Social Enterprise , Indha, which has empowered over ten thousand women since 2005, by giving them a platform to earn and learn, Mithu joined the artisan team. Her beautiful handcraft can be seen in Lord Krishna design which sold as a Gift Box online. Mithu along with her family feels her life is changing.

Let’s briefly talk about a widow woman Musrat Parwin lives in Loiyabadi village under Neturia block of Purulia District of West Bengal. Few years ago, she lost her husband and now she lives only with her daughter who is a student. After her husband death she started a small grocery shop, but earning was very low and she unable to fulfil their needs and her daughter education. Their financial weakness and mental complexion made her unsettled. In that situation, she could hear about “Literary India”. heed for admission at Raghunathpur Center for getting a training of Tailoring and she got that opportunity from the “Literacy India”. She learned the skill of tailoring very easily. During the training she was learning to make different types of products such as Petticoat, Blouse, Nighty, Churidar, pent, Shirt Etc. After 6 months of training she has passed out excellently and she has been started to work with new or old cloths at her shop and now she has been found a way of earning. With the help of this platform of “Literacy India” and with the hard effort of herself she has been able to support the family very easily. Now her daughter’s education is running very well.

Chinta Mahato, wife of Amulya Mahato a home maker and lives in Village Gobag under Neturia Thana of Purulia District. In Rural India early marriages of girls is a norm. Families born with girls are considered burden. Chinta Mahato was one daughter among the four. She was only 17 when she got married because of extreme poverty , her father decided to marry her off to another poor farmer. Her dreams of completing her education could not fulfil. At an early age she became a mother of two son and a daughter. Her inner resolve to change her made her come to the Literacy India centre and her husband supported that. She not only become skilled in stitching but also embroidery. Soon her skill started giving her income, through Indha, her quality of needlework increased number of orders. Chinta Mahato is very punctual and quite disciplined in submitting her. Her income increased in no time, with her first income of Rs.2000/- she bought school bag for her son. She wants her children to complete their education and her income is going to make sure of that.

Saswati Kumar lives at Pratappur under Baghmundi Block of Purulia district of West Bengal. Her father Mr. Shaktipada Majhi is 66 years old man and he is a small farmer living with great difficulty having only 3 bighas cultivate land, he also works with daily worker in his several times and his monthly income was very low, it was not sufficient to fulfil the family needs. Saswati is only daughter of her parents. The financial crisis of her family was going to critical point day by day which is mostly pressured on the Saswati as a daughter. Saswati want to do something for her family and also wants to continue her graduation, but she does not find any way. Later on, she knows about Literacy India, and she came at literacy India’s Pratappur center having described her life history in briefly and applied for Knitting courses. She was getting the opportunity to do knitting courses with free of cost. She became expert in knitting within six months with the help of the teacher and his hard effort. Gradually she was starting to making different woollen products. At first, she had made woollen products through knitting needle and gradually she was practicing knitting machine. Now she is expert to handle knitting machine. Now she earning well by making various woollen items like- Sweater, Muffler, Cap Etc. and she is also working as an artisan of “Indha” of “Literacy India”. Recently she got married with a teacher and her husband support to continue her knitting work.

35 Years old Sujata Bauri lives at Sarbari Village under Neturia block of Purulia District of West Bengal with her husband and one daughter. She dropped out from her study in Class IX and got married with Subal Bauri is a daily labour and his income is very poor to fulfil their necessary needs. Their daughter reads in class II. She admitted in our Embroidery course and completed the course perfectly. Presently she is an Embroidery artisan of “Indha” of “Literacy India”. This unlucky couple worked hard to give a well life to their family, but the sudden Lockdown because of the COVID-19 bring a darkness in their heart. Her husband’s work was totally stop and he had no any other earning sources. At the initial days of Lockdown, they did not feel so much difficulty because they had some savings. But due to prolonged lockdown and curfew through their life into utter darkness. They even could not feed themselves three times. At that times “Literacy India” hold their hands and tried to help with some essential foods and money. The payment of her embroidery works help them very much. By the help of “Indha” she has been receiving the order to make various embroidery product and earning about Rs.1500 to 2000 per month. Her embroidery skill has helped their family to overcome From that pathetic situation. She is very happy and feeling proud because now she can help their family financially.

Juhita Kaibarta belongs to remote village Bodua of Chandankiyari Block under Bokaro District, Jharkhand. Her father is a poor farmer. So, she managed to read only up to Class XII and after that she was drop out from his study. She was worried all the time and was thinking to do something to help her family. She couldn’t find any way out from that misery. One day Juhita, turn up by faith came to Literacy India’s Khedadih Center. She got to know about our Center, our Karigari Project, the aim of our Organization from one of our students who is earning after completing the Karigari Training. Juhita told us about her struggles, problems and Teacher suggested her to take admission in our Tailoring course. Then she taken admission and started to learn. She was one of the most laborious students. Her determination and stubbornness are such that she became a good tailor. During the course period she learned to make petticoat, nighty, blouse, kurta, pent, shirt Etc. After completion of the course she has been started to make various Indha product at Khedadih Center. She has got financial help from& Literacy India & to buy a Sewing machine and She has started to work from home and she has been getting order from local community. Now she is earning about Rs. 2500/- per month. Now Juhita Kaibarta can help her family and can fulfil her petty needs. She wants to continue her study from this session. She would like to thanks to& Literacy India& with tears of happiness for this support.

Durgamani Lohar, a 26-years old hard-working woman belongs to the Gobindapur Village within the Baghmundi block of Purulia, West Bengal. She lives with her husband and two sons. Her husband is a daily labour, and has a small land for seasonal cultivation. Their income is not enough to fulfil their necessary needs. Durgamani is interested in stitching and she started tailoring classes at the Pratappur Centre of “Literacy India.” After completing the course, she got a sewing machine from “Literacy India” and she started an at-home business and received orders from vendors (50-60 petticoats and blouses per week), and also got orders from the community. She is also work for “Indha” such as – school dress making, bag making etc. She earned quite well to support her family.