Haseena and Tabassum are craft managers at Women on Wings business partner Rangsutra Crafts. The women are from Gyaanpur area, Uttar Pradesh. Both women are not only skilled in embroidery, they also show leadership qualities and encourage other women to make an income with the skills they learned from a young age. They may live in small villages, but they have big dreams.
Earning from embroidery for further studies
Tabassum started working with Rangsutra 2 years ago. She was not allowed to come out of the house and work. Her brother did not understand why women should earn when men of the household were perfectly capable. Rangsutra not only provides the work, its management also mediates with the families. They convinced the family and Tabassum started attending the craft manager training. Although she still is not allowed to come to the Gyaanpur center to work, she works in her village with a group of 20 artisans. Tabassum: “I am using the money I earn from my work for further studies; Hindi and Sociology. I love my work so much that my big dream is that Rangsutra can provide work to all the women in my village.
Earning gives a voice and wings to fly
Tabassum may be facing limitations, she still has these big dreams and ambitions, encouraged by Haseena, her sister-in-law, who works with Rangsutra since 3 years. Haseena is fortunate; she has a husband that supports her in her work. So feels independent and does not care what other people say about her. Haseena has taken a step forward and is proud to work as craft manager at the Gyaanpur center. For her there is no looking back. Haseena:” As children we learned to embroider and stitch our own clothes, but I never imagined I could earn from it. Working with Rangsutra has given me a voice. I have wings to fly. I dream all women would come out and be independent.”
@photo: Haseena (left) receiving her certificate of completion of Craft Managers training from Dipti, Rangsutra’s HR and Varanasi Head.
