Here Is How A Sewing Machine, Training And Sheer Perseverance Made E. Iruthayamary, Financially Independent

Delhi: Imagine a life where you have to depend on your parents for your and your children's basic requirements. A life where fulfilling your family's basic needs is a daily struggle for you. Being dependent on your parents as a child is different from being reliant on them even after you have your own children was something 36-year-old, E. Iruthayamary from Thiruvandarkoli, Pondicherry, was struggling to come to terms with.

While Iruthayamary, who owns a sewing machine did minimum job work at home and along with that worked at an NGO on a part time basis, her husband Elumalai, works as a driver at a private company and has both an unstable job and an unstable income.

Determined to bring in a change in her family's life and provide a better standard of living to them, Iruthayamary enrolled herself in USHA Silai School programme in August 2013 and went on to start her own silai school in September 2013.

Today, when Iruthayamary wakes up in the morning at 5:30, she doesn't think about her finances, but about her work and plans her day accordingly. As soon as she wakes up, she gets involved in the household work, sends her children to school and college and then reaches her silai school by 9:30. On normal days, she runs her silai school till 9 at night and during peak season, she even works till 11.

Also Read: From Having No Steady Source Of Income To Earning Rs.45,000 A Month, Here Is How A. Metildamary Changed Her Life

As of now, Iruthayamary has trained 65 women and is currently giving training to three women. With a monthly income of Rs. 20,000, she is not only contributing to the household expenses but is also providing good education to her children. Today, her son is pursuing engineering from a private college and her daughter is in 11th standard is studying in a private school.

Iruthayamary's dedication and perseverance created an opportunity for her to produce a clothing line which was further exhibited at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018. For this, Iruthayamary along with 32 other USHA Silai school women worked and learned under the guidance of renowned designers.

I never knew what patchwork is, but here I not only learned, but tried my hands at patchwork. I learnt a lot of designs and now I am confident of producing more new designs using the lessons I have inherited here, says Iruthayamary.

After all, Iruthayamary now aims to become a top notch tailor of her village, someone who knows all kinds of designs. She wishes to pass on the lessons she has learned and wants to teach and train more and more women and enable them to earn their own livelihood.