Shantilata Mohanta, a resident of Daradara village of Toramora Panchayat under Thakurmunda block of  Mayurbhanj district, is educationally 12th Std. pass out. Her family comprises of 5 members – her husband Baidhar Mohanta, two children and mother in-law. Chandan, her son is a sponsored child under CYSD-Plan Project for past 10 years. Her children are academically active – daughter is pursuing higher secondary education (+2 Arts) and son studies in Dumuriya Residential High School.

Being blessed with a stable family is not enough! The economic crisis of her family was soaring higher with each passing day. They own a very small landholding that was insufficient for the year round subsistence, that too for six members. Earlier, they had been cultivating paddy with meager production. Her miseries doesn’t end here! Due to misfortune, her husband has been suffering with epileptic attacks since eight years for now. They, however, had tired their level best in consulting to the nearby health institutions as well the SCB medical college at Cuttack. The family spent a lot for his treatment and medication, but he is not fully cured and still remains in a deteriorating condition. Sometimes he gets recurrent fits and his situation gets even more precarious. He is as sick as he is incompetent to carry out his own hygiene and care, for which Shanti and her mother-in-law have been devoting a lot of their time.

With this miserable condition, Shantilata had applied for a Tailoring Training course in 2015 which was organized by CYSD. Being the mother of a sponsored child and visualizing her poor economic background, CYSD programme team selected her as one of the trainees for Vocational Training on Tailoring. Shantilata underwent the training at Karanjia for two months and sincerely learnt the skills of measurements, cutting and stitching of ladies garments. She had also been supported with stitching materials and a sewing machine with 50% cost contribution from her side.

Today, she has managed to take a rented room for Tailoring Workshop in Mahuldiha market and has been stitching the garments as per order of the ladies customers. Currently she owns two sewing machines, one is at workshop and the other one at home in order to maintain timely delivery of orders and to satisfy the customers. Out of tailoring business she is now able to earn around Rs.6000 to Rs.7000 per month. This income has categorically helped to support her children’s higher education. Shantilata says, “My children very much understand the family situation and unlike the fashionable adolescents of the present day, they have never demanded luxuries. Through this little earning I am able to manage the family expenses”.

She has planned to expand her endeavor engaging two full time assistants and showcasing the shop with cabinets and accessories. Not only that, she also desires to install an electric sewing machine with PICO and other stitching designers that will attract more customers to her shop. In this process some stitching/sewing materials like clothes, lining materials, designer items etc. will be also procured and used in stitching to meet the customers’ demands.

 “I have struggled a lot in my life. However that acute phase of adversity is going away gradually. My main aim is to make my children better qualified for getting suitable jobs. All depends upon God’s grace”. I am thankful to CYSD for supporting me during my crisis and empowering me to become self-employed in tailoring profession”, shared happy Shantilata.