Real Life Stories Part 1

Indha means different things to different women. For some, its finding a new leash of confidence, for some its financial power, for some its self-identity and to some it means becoming a pillar of strength to their family. But to most its the hope for a better future. Here are real stories of real women who found hope through Indha.

Santosh a widow at the age of 23 and a mother of two is working hard to overcome the challenges of her life. Educated till class 10, she is keen to learn things quickly because that means she can earn her livelihood with dignity. She is very hard working and has been associated with Indha for the last 6 months. During her six months training she has learnt how to make paper products. She is also gaining experience running the Indha store at Bajghera. She is a true example for all the widows out there who lose hope after losing their husbands, the chief wage earners of the family.


Nisha is only 20 years, the only earning member of her family. After an accident 1 year ago, her father was no longer able to work for the family. As a result, the responsibility of all 5 members of her family fell upon her. After 2 years of hard work, Nisha is now an instructor in the tailoring centre of Literacy India at Daultabad and spends the rest of her time making fashionable bags for Indha. She is easily one of the best craft women Indha has. At such a young, she has achieved what very few can, thanks to her resilient spirit and self confidence.


Manju Devi, a 45 years old house wife migrated from Bihar along with her husband and 6 children to live in a slum of Saidulajab village area. Her husband began work at a local ‘Dhaba’ earning around Rs.2200/- per month. The family has been facing severe financial problems ever since they moved and find it difficult to make both ends meet. Literacy India enrolled Manju Devi in the tailoring classes under the Janani project. She is quite regular and has picked up the basic skills. It is expected that she would be fairly proficient within a couple of months and would be able to put her skills to use by stitching clothes, thereby contributing to her meagre family income. There are enough opportunities in the nearby locality where she lives and Manju has expressed her confidence in getting stitching orders. This exposure has given her the confidence to face the hard ships the family is facing. Manju hopes and believes that she has improved her chances of a better future after her course at ‘Janani’.