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

Education

20 Nov, 2019

Odisha

Swantana has big dreams to achieve

Household responsibilities forced Swantana* to drop out of school and stay at home for nearly five years.

Read More

Gender Justice

05 Nov, 2019

Jharkhand

From Survivor to Champion of Women’s Rights

Though married as a child and facing domestic violence, 33 year old Hira Devi of Jharkhand’s Silda village never thought it was a problem.

Read More

Education

30 Oct, 2019

New Delhi

Empowering girls through education

16-year-olds Radha* and Devrani* had to miss regular classes for two months after they were transferred from their school to another that was far from their localities.

Read More

Education

17 Sep, 2019

New Delhi

Oxfam India helps Gudiya restart schooling

Gudiya (centre) with two of her friends who also went to the centre run by Oxfam India.

Thirteen year old Gudiya* came to Delhi with her parents, who migrated from Assam five yea

Read More