From school dropout to business woman - Anju's journey

Anju's family was touched with poverty and illiteracy and could not help her with learning environment. She was just 8 years old when she dropped school, instead taking up household chores like cooking, cleaning, working in the fields and collecting wood logs.

VSO in consortium partnership with Handicap International and implementing partnership with Prerana provided significant support to Anju through the Empowering a New Generation of Adolescent Girls with Education (ENGAGE) project funded by the FCDO's flagship Girls’ Education Challenge Programme’s, Leave No Girls Behind.

The major objective of the ENGAGE project is to empower 10 to 19 years old out of school girls and children with disabilities to transition to formal education, help them build small businesses and to improve their daily life by developing their basic literacy, numeracy and business skills.

After connecting with the ENGAGE project, Anju joined a nine month bridge class to improve her literacy and numeracy skills. After completing the bridge class, she decided to learn a skill rather than go to a mainstream school. “I thought if I learn a skill then I can make my living out of it and support my family too, so I chose transition to a livelihood”, says Anju.

With the help of personal social support approach, Anju discovered her creativity and chose tailoring as her new path to become independent and generate income. The ENGAGE project then provided her with three months of vocational training on tailoring along with 17 other primary actors. After the training, the project also supported her with sewing machines, cloths, tables, an iron, and other materials to encourage her to start the tailoring business.

These days, Anju runs the business from her house. She stiches blouse, kurta surwal, maxi dress and other ladies’ items and earns Rs. 5000-7000 ($37- $53) a month through her business. Anju says, “I have developed confidence after learning tailoring. I am also providing tailoring training to one of the girls from my community, charging Rs.3000 ($22). I plan to train more girls in coming days while continuing my work.”

These days Anju does not have to ask money from her parents and can buying new clothes and shoes for herself. She gives some of her profits to her mother to spend on family expenses and saves a portion of her earnings in a bank account so that one day she can invest it back into her business. Anju has recently enrolled in an advanced course in tailoring. Her brother has also leant tailoring and together they wish to open their own shop in the main market where they can get more customers and earn even more than before.

From a school dropout to running her own business, Anju’s transformation can be seen, felt, and heard. Her parents feel glad to see her growth. Her father says, “I had never imagined that my daughter could start her own business and earn. I wish all the best for my daughter’s life.”