AHALYABEHERA, GANJAM, ODISHA

When AhalyaBehera was divorced 10 years ago, she had no source of income. Along with her daughter she lived a hand to mouth existence for days on end.

Doing a few odd jobs Ahalya made it through many days but that was not what she wanted. She dreamed of touching the sky and educating her daughter along with living a dignified life free of poverty. When she got to know of the USHA Silai School Program she called it ‘a ray of hope.’

Ahalya now earns an average of INR 12,000 per month from training other women and becoming a tailor. Most of this money is saved for her daughter’s education.

Her tailoring shop opened after her USHA Silai School training keeps her busy and the steady income means Ahalya is living her dream.