35-Year-Old Sunita Triumphed Over Financial Battles And Perfected The Art Of Sewing Clothes

Mumbai: In parts of India, especially its rural belt, the identity of a woman is limited to motherhood and whether or not she can bear children. It is a make belief notion that is hard to uproot, since being a mother is seen to be the sole purpose of a woman, an honour that is bestowed on her by nature and completes her. This narrow interpretation of womanhood also means that when a woman fails to bear children she is looked down open, humiliated and in some cases even ostracised by the community.

It has been over a year that Sunita has been following this routine. In her dreams also, 35-year-old Sunita had not imagined that she could ever multi-task and balance her work and personal life.

A few years ago, Sunita along with her husband Nathu Lal Kumawat migrated to the district of Jaipur in search for better economic opportunities. Like her husband, she also found a position at a farm as a wage labourer. Despite, the two of them working day and night on the fields, they weren't able to come out of their poor financial condition due the seasonal nature of their work. 

Just when, Sunita was running out of patience and hope, she came across the USHA Silai School programme in 2016. After undergoing the initial training for seven days, she received a sewing machine. This sewing machine opened several windows of opportunities for Sunita and her family. 

There were hardly any alternatives available for a woman like me who lives in rural area with no signs of progress. I was desperately looking for something I would enjoy, something that would make me happy. And that is when the USHA silai school came to my rescue, says Sunita. 

With a strong urge to expand her skills and go beyond the basic designing, Sunita underwent another set of training.  Along with the taking stitching orders for clothes in her village, she also opened a training school to provide a platform to other women who wanted to hone their individuality and gain financial independence. With her efforts, Sunita has trained over 20 women so far and earns upto ₹9,000 every month. 

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Through her dedication, hard work and passion for stitching she earned the opportunity to work along with 31 other USHA Silai School women to produce a clothing line that was launched at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018. 

Sunita believes that the volume of new designs she learnt during the production of Silai Label, is way more than what she learnt in last 10 years of her life. From making simple blouses to now venturing into making fancy palazzos, the woman entrepreneurs like Sunita have come a long way.  

Recalling her incredible journey Sunita says,

It all started with the seven day training. In those initial days though I was satisfied with the basics of stitching I was always curious about learning to stitch fashionable clothes. I am proud with what I have achieved. And I hope to continue to design clothes forever.

With a tangible experience in the sewing industry, Sunita now aims to establish her own production centre where she can provide employment to others,

And this land where I'll have my tailoring shop which will be bought from my own money, chuckles Sunita. 

Also Read: From Struggling For One's Own Survival To Sustaining A Family Of Three, Here Is How Ayesha From Kolkata Did It