Puriben Ahir - Artisan and shareholder of STFC

Several years ago, during severe and frequent droughts, Puriben had only two options -either to forcibly migrate or work at earth-digging sites. She doesn't remember, how much jewellery and precious family heirlooms (intricately hand-embroidered items of personal use), she had sold at throwaway prices, just to survive. With acute water shortage, no regular income and cattle adversely affected by harsh and fragile conditions, Puriben was unsure of her and her family's future.

She had traditional skills, but was unaware of their commercial value. She was making a living by digging pits, which neither provided drinking water, nor were conducive for water harvesting. Basic needs such as childcare, health and education were not a priority as survival itself was a challenge. Today after a decade and a half, Puriben's traditional embroidery skills are her family's main source of income. She is an elected member of SEWA's Executive Committee as well as an executive committee member of Banaskantha DWCRA Mahila SEWA Association (BDMSA) - a district level federation of over 65,000 women members like her.

Thousands of women like her are now economically self-reliant and more importantly - are empowered. They now have a choice and also have control over their own livelihood. They are free from the clutches of exploitative traders and middlemen. With a better network to sell their produce, they have more bargaining power and earn what they rightfully deserve.

Thousands of women like Kakuben and Puriben featured here are now economically self-reliant and more importantly - are empowered. They now have a choice and also have control over their own livelihood. They are free from the clutches of exploitative traders and middlemen. With a better network to sell their produce, they have more bargaining power and earn what they rightfully deserve.

Kakuben Jivan Ranmal - Artisan from Barara, Patan and shareholder of STFC

"If I tell my story of struggle it starts with the days when I had to leave my nine month old child behind in the hands of my in-laws in search of casual work. But today I work and earn a livelihood from home and at the same time take care of my family. Similarly my daughter and daughter in law can stay with their children and take care of them while they work and earn. I feel that SEWA is more than my own parents to me and my family. "

Rudiben Jivabhai Rava - An Embroidery Artisan from Babra Village and owner of STFC

"We had no value for our work and never thought of getting income by selling them. It was only a piece of bread or flour that we got against several days work that I did. Even the community that I belong to is termed as scheduled caste and was treated as untouchables as a result creating a barrier for us to take our products to the market. But with the help of SEWA and our company STFC it has now become possible.

I had never thought of my piece of patch work, that I used to cover my mattress in my house, could be used as a curtain and beautify someone's living room. After joining SEWA we came to know how much our craft could be helpful to us in our lives and how it could help us survive and stop us migrating from palce to place in search of livelihood and fodder for our cattle. We used to migrate for 4 to 8 months and return only if it rained or else move further in search of casual labour work which was the only source of living. We used to embroider but as per the customs only traditional products were made for our personal use. But now we do our work as per the martket trends and needs and order that our company recieves. We had never moved out even in groups of women, and certainly never alone, but today I can come and go alone from my village to places like Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and many other cities in India.

Deviben Khodabhai Rabari - 2nd generation artisan member and shareholder of STFC

Jamuben Khangabhai Ayar - Artisan and craft leader, monitoring, facilitating and coordinating for artisans in her village of Dhokawada and for the surrounding cluster villages.

"Today I am able to live a family life with my in-laws, husband and children in the village and not migrate from place to place in search of livelihood because after joining SEWA and understanding the values of our hand embroidery work, I started embroidering and earning from home. Now I am able to earn a livelihood and support my family not only with the bare necessities of life, like food, clothing and shelter but am also able to educate my children, especially my daughter who is today studying in the 2nd year of Primary Teacher Certification (PTC) course.

Kakuben Babubhai Ahir - Embroidery Artisan and shareholder of STF.

"There came a day when we had to take a loan against the two acre land that we had but that landed us in another problem so we had to move out and migrate in search of work. Once it so happened that me and my husband was working in a field while my eldest daughter, who was quite young at that time, was playing and accidently dropped in a well. She was saved but when my in-laws heard about it they summoned us back to the village. We returned and stayed for nearly two months but there was no way of earning a decent livelihood to even get two meals a day. We again borrowed money and went out looking for a job. We lived a nomadic life for nearly 10 years, returning to the village and family only if good rains came.

Once when we came back to the village, I learned about SEWA and that women in the villages nearby were associated with SEWA and getting work. My father-in-law asked me to check is out and so I did. With the help of my sisters who were already with SEWA I got my first assignment of embroidering a Kurta. It was my first earning that I got in my own hands, and that Rs 300- was a very big amount, before even if I had worked for months I would not have made such an amount and here I earned it sitting at home. It was not only I who was happy, my family and also my community was happy to know this and from that day I decided to work only for and with SEWA. That was the day that helped me be at home with the family and since then we have never had to migrate in search of work.