Financial Independence for Kousalya
Kousalya, 25, was part of our 6-month vocational tailoring course in Kalyanapuram, Chennai. She joined the programme to learn something during her free time, but little did she know that this was going to fuel her passion for designing. Kousalya was at the top of her class, learning quickly and a proactive student, always wanting to learn more. After completing the course, Kousalya continued to drop by the centre and ask questions about the different designs that she was attempting back at home.
Kousalya’s husband, an auto driver, was very supportive of her dreams and bought her a sewing machine to begin her small business. She began stitching and her customers grew by word of mouth! She says, “I realised that many people were coming to me after being recommended by a satisfied customer. So I learnt that if I don’t overcharge and do work that is satisfying to the customers, then many more people will come to me. ”
Kousalya did not always have this support from her extended family. She says, “My own family spoke wrongly of me for attending classes and did not respect me. Now, as they see my growth, they come to me with clothes to stitch. I am able to walk confidently knowing that I am doing something useful with my life. ”
The past few months have been very difficult for Kousalya and her husband, but she says that this tailoring skill has helped her. She says, “After my husband’s accident, for over a month, he did not have any income. We survived on the money that I got from stitching. My husband smiled at me when I told him that my income would be enough to pay off some of the bills. Even though he did not say it, I knew that he was proud of me. “