How Sarojini and 350 Rural Women Transformed Their Lives Through Embroidery and Empowerment

How Sarojini and 350+ Rural Women Transformed Their Lives Through Embroidery and Empowerment

Problem

Rural women face several challenges across India. They have limited access to education and economic opportunities due to lack of awareness and societal norms. This was the story of women in the Unnao district, too. In the heart of Unnao, Sarojini started as a lone wolf, and today, over 350 women walk beside her. It was the Rit Rural Foundation that made this transformation possible. Through our upskilling support, Sarojini found the right direction she needed to take.

Solution

Sarojini from Unnao first upskilled herself in the delicate art of saree embroidery with pearls. One by one, women from her village joined her, and Sarojini trained them, led them, and built a thriving community of skilled women artisans. They buy simple sarees from the local markets and then hand embroidered them. These sarees are then sold at a fairly higher price.

Rit supported Sarojini and other women to acquire requisite skills, train them and provided them access to online platforms to market their products in indigenous and international markets.

Outcome

The women started with a first salary of just Rs 2000, but today, their small business has grown to a turnover of Rs 15 – 16 lakh. Their beautifully embroidered pearl sarees are now being sold in big cities like Mumbai, Noida, Delhi, Mussoorie, and more.

But the impact goes beyond just income. Through this journey, the women have gained valuable knowledge about banking. They have opened bank accounts, which has led to financial inclusion. This transformation has indirectly instilled in them a habit of saving. They now understand business processes and use common business terms with confidence, like ‘turnover’! Many of them can now talk about pricing, profits, orders, and markets. As these women say, they now know things they had never imagined being part of.

This is the real story of empowerment. And Rit Rural Foundation takes pride in successfully transforming the lives of women. We wish to help more and more rural women so that they live a life of dignity and independence.