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.
"During the drought of 2000, SEWA's new approach in combating drought enabled the feeble, young mothers and even the physically challenged to survive. The drought proofing measures such as artisan work, based on traditional embroidery skills, made it possible for us to work from our homes and yet earn enough to feed our families, ensuring that our children attended school. We were not at the mercy of either the money-lenders or the pawn brokers. Neither were we 'forced' to dig pits under the hot sun."
--Puriben |
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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 -
"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 treated as untouchables creating a barrier for us to take our products to the market. But with the help of SEWA and our company STFC we have made the impossible possible.
Once my mother starting working for SEWA, we brothers and sisters were able to go to school and had better living standard. For me my craft is first. So after schooling I continued working with my mother embroidering for our own use. Later I also joined SEWA and started working like my mother. I had many opportunities of participating in various trainings that were organized by SEWA, which included market understanding as well. I was eager to develop myself as a good 'A' grade artisan, so I tried not to miss any of the trainings or exposures. Today I can train my sisters and help them work better. I am enthusiastic to take our work not only to the national but also international markets so that our skill gets visibility and survives for generations to come."
"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.
"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 when returned to our village, I learned about SEWA and how women in nearby villages were associated with it and getting work. 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 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 but my family and also my community was happy to know this. That was the day that helped me to be at home with my family and since then we have never had to migrate in search of work.
