MAYAWATI, JHANSI, UTTAR PRADESH

Polio might have affected Mayawati physically, but it didn’t dent her spirit. Born to a poor family in a remote village in Bundelkhand Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati has always known poverty. Her husband worked in a small factory but his income seemed insufficient for them. The couple wanted to educate their children but it seemed like an impossibility.

That’s when Mayawati got to know about the USHA Silai School. She trained hard under the program and now is already a changed woman.

Today, she’s more confident and is respected for her sewing skills. She has a whole new identity. That of a Silai School teacher. Her children now go to a local school. But Mayawati dreams big. She hopes someday she can buy 8-10 automatic sewing machines so that she can train women like her and offer them sewing skills; and with it a better life.