Stitching A Brighter Future

Stitching A Brighter Future

Priti Ranjan is ecstatic with her new sewing machine. The 26 year old from Nadha village of Hilsa block in Nalanda district has been sewing and supporting her husband, Ranjeet Kumar, a construction worker who was mostly out of work during the pandemic and the lockdown, and her four year old daughter. The husband used to migrate to other blocks of Nalanda district and as far as Patna for work. 

Due to her physical disability she was unable to operate a manual pedal sewing machine. With the old hand operated sewing machine she was barely able to earn more than Rs 60-70 a day. Though the income fell during the lockdown, it still proved to be some support for the family.

Oxfam India-HDFC project—UTTHAN—has been working in 15 villages in Nalanda since July 2020. HDFC’s CSR initiative Parivartan aims to ‘Create Sustainable Communities’ by enhancing sustainable livelihood options and improving access to essential services, especially of women, from the most marginalised and vulnerable communities.

As part of the UTTHAN project, village development committees were formed. Priti approached the committee and requested for support to upgrade her sewing machine so that she can improve her income. The committee after proper vetting, transferred Rs 12,000 to her bank. The conditional cash transfer was made so that she could purchase an electric sewing machine.

The electric sewing machine has helped her get more work as she is able to stitch more in a day. She is able to make almost Rs 250 per day. The Project UTTHAN has left her very hopeful for a better future for her family. Once the schools reopen, Priti plans to send her daughter to school.

📢Oxfam India is now on Telegram. Click here to join our Telegram channel and stay tuned to the latest updates and insights on social and development issues.


Economic Justice

We work towards fair sharing of natural resources and ensuring better livelihoods for forest-dependent communities

#IndiaWithoutDiscrimination Read More

Related Stories

India Discrimination Report

21 May, 2020

Odisha-AP border

The Homeward Journey

Navigating social media has been grim these last two months.

Read More

India Discrimination Report

18 May, 2020

Tumkur, Karnataka

Livelihood in the Time of a Lockdown

My colleague from the Bengaluru office, Mallika, called to double check if we were documenting the ‘FPO’ story for our weekly update. FPO is the short for Farmer Producer Organisation.

Read More

India Discrimination Report

17 May, 2020

Odisha

On Foot, On Truck and Finally, A Bus

The kitchen on the Odisha-AP border in Ganjam district was up and running early today morning. On the menu was vegetable biryani, chole with lemon and onion.

Read More

India Discrimination Report

16 May, 2020

Patna

Getting Home, Somehow

On Friday evening, a truck packed with 70 migrant workers reached Patna. The workers had walked 70 kms & then hired a truck @ Rs 3500 per head — Delhi to Bihar and onwards to Jharkhand.

Read More