Manju sounded like a proud mother when she told me that her daughter had stitched a salwar suit the day before, entirely on her own, and with no help or guidance.

It so happened that Manju had not been feeling well, and there was a committed delivery to be made. That was when her daughter, who studies in Class X, pitched in confidently.

But, for Manju that is enough.

Manju does not want her daughter to be a regular assistant in her tailoring business: She is determined to make her three children graduates. She would not like them to repeat her life.

For various reasons, Manju had to drop out of school when she passed Class VIII. She got herself trained in different kinds of stitching techniques and quickly upgraded to be a trainer herself. When she got married and moved to live with her husband, she had to give up her source of income and concentrate on the responsibilities of being a homemaker.

It was only after the birth of her three children that Manju thought of picking up the reins of her career again, this time directly into production rather than training. With her skills, it did not take long to build a reputation and get customers beyond the local neighbourhood of Rishikesh.

“Show me any dress, and I will stitch another for you exactly like it,” boasts Manju when we asked her why her customers are so happy with her.

Manju’s story is not an isolated one. Many of our customers have not been fortunate enough to go to school or had to drop off. Enabling such women provides them with the means to fulfil the dream of ensuring that their children, especially the girl child, get a formal education.

The lockdown hit her business, but we hope that the current festival season powers Manju back on track. Our task at Village Financial Services is to help her grow.