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 Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide

03 Mar, 2020

Uttar Pradesh

Reducing Inequality by Ensuring Formal Education

Nine-year-old Zaid* is studying in a primary school in Balrampur. However, he would have missed formal education had Oxfam India not intervened.

Read More

India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide

25 Feb, 2020

Kerala

Disaster Resilience through Economic Empowerment of Women and Excluded Communities in Kerala

The 2018 floods in Kerala had affected the lives of many women and girls, boys and men, differently abled persons, and transgender group in different ways.

Read More

Health

04 Feb, 2020

Bihar

Community-Based Organisations Raise Awareness on Healthcare

Kajal Kumari lives with her husband, Aakash and her in-laws in Jakkanpur in Patna in Bihar. Aakash is a daily wage labourer and did not have a regular source of income; the financial burden increas

Read More

Humanitarian Response and DRR

30 Jan, 2020

Kerala

Rebuilding lives of flood-affected families in Kerala

The 2018 floods in Kerala ravaged the state and had a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods of everyone affected – from women and girls to men and boys, and from differently abled to the tran

Read More