Stitching her own Future: "I am now able to guide and inspire other women in my village to build their own livelihoods"
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"I learnt stitching from my cousin out of pure curiosity when I was young, but over the years, I managed my household and set the craft aside," reflects Pavitra. "Now, at forty, that simple skill from my past has led the way of changing my family's future."
Pavitra is a micro-entrepreneur based in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Like many women in her community, she was raised in an orthodox household where formal education ended after Class 10, and traditional domestic roles were expected. For years, her focus remained solely on taking care of her family and raising her two children.
Life took an unexpected turn when her husband lost his job, leaving the family in acute financial distress. Determined to contribute to the household income while respecting local social norms that limited her mobility, Pavitra searched for work she could do from home. A relative introduced her to undergarment manufacturing, and Pavitra quickly learned the craft and began working independently. However, the work was irregular and income remained uncertain.
"I had the determination to work hard, but I soon realised that without understanding how to manage finances, connect with market channels, or scale production, I couldn't build a stable enterprise," Pavitra shares.
The turning point came when Pavitra became a beneficiary of the Sankalp Programme supported by the German Embassy and implemented by the Empower Foundation. Designed to help women transition from informal work into viable, market-linked enterprises, Sankalp provided Pavitra with structured in-person entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, business planning, and market integration guidance.
Equipped with new business acumen, Pavitra formally established her enterprise, a home-based tailoring and boutique unit that produces customised women’s apparel alongside her existing undergarment manufacturing line.
Beyond business skills, the programme nurtured her confidence. "Earlier, I rarely spoke up outside my family," she explains. "Gradually, through Sankalp's mentorship and market exposure, I became comfortable presenting my work, interacting with customers, and making independent business decisions."
Witnessing her commitment and growing financial contributions, her husband and daughter became her strongest supporters, assisting her in managing daily operations and expanding her production.
Today, Pavitra earns a steady income and is scaling her enterprise to reach a monthly profit target of ₹20,000. Going beyond her own business, she is preparing to establish a local tailoring training centre in her village to pass on her skills and mentor other women from the marginalised households.
According to Pavitra, "I am proud not only because I can financially support my family, but because other women in my community now see that a simple skill can become a tool for self-reliance."
Sankalp is Empower Foundation's flagship women entrepreneurship programme that enables women from underserved communities to start, formalise, and grow sustainable micro-enterprises. The programme supports aspiring and early-stage women entrepreneurs through a comprehensive ecosystem that combines entrepreneurship training, business planning, formalisation, mentoring, market linkages, and access to zero-interest returnable grants. Since its inception, the programme has trained 2,150+ women entrepreneurs across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Delhi NCR.