Nagawani's husband is a house painter by profession and her parents are daily-wage laborers. Since, their combined income was never sufficient, Nagawani decided to contribute towards the household income by tailoring garments.In the 90s, Sri Lanka was in turmoil. We were three siblings and our parents had moved us to India to escape from the war. As I didn't do well academically, I dropped out of school. That's when I learned sewing and started tailoring.
The Organisation For Eelam Refugee Rehabilitation - Ceylon (OfERR) came into being in 1984 as a voice for the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who moved to India for refuge during the period of the war. The organisation has since then helped millions of victims to regain the control of their life and receive their fundamental right to live peacefully with dignity in their own country. In Jermegini's village, the NGO introduced the Usha Silai School and helped many like her who had no sustainable source of income to earn their livelihood.When I got back, I didn't know what to do. I got to know about the Usha (Silai School) tailoring course from OfERR Ceylon NGO."
Like Nagawani, Jermgini has made sewing her main source of livelihood. "Initially, I thought I would only earn Rs 3,000 a month from stitching garments for women. But now that I have a formal training, more of my friends have started placing their orders with me."When my friends and I got to know about the training course, we were hesitant about it at first. Eventually, we were convinced and decided to go for their selection interview, she says. After going through the complete training, I learned to stitch various garments.
Echoing Jermgini's thoughts Nagawani too, believes that "finding employment is a big problem for women in Sri Lanka" and "tailoring is a good skill to acquire." For both these women and many more who have gotten back on their feet in their own country after turmoil ended, Usha Silai School has played a major role in helping rebuilding lives.Now that I have completed the training course, I see more women considering me as their role model. They, too, want to learn sewing and pursue tailoring as a career.
© Copyright NDTV Convergence Limited 2024. All rights reserved.