Sapna pursues a dream

Thank you for coming together to teach Sapna a marketable skill.

Until recently, 25-year old Sapna knew nothing but being a mother and housewife. She was married off to her husband at age 14 and had given birth to her first child within her first year of marriage. The following year, she had another child, then a third, and finally a fourth child five years ago.  About six months ago, Sapna, her husband, and their four children moved to Pune from a town four hours away in search of better economic and educational opportunities. Sapna has no education, and her husband only attended school through the fourth grade, but both are determined to help their children study further in school than they did, and had heard of an organization in Pune that could help them do that. After sorting out her children’s school enrollment, Sapna caught wind of an opportunity for herself – the first chance at independence and economic possibility that she had ever had. Many of her new neighbors are enrolled in a tailoring class at a nearby health and community outreach center, and Sapna jumped at the chance to join. She had rarely left the house prior to beginning the class, and felt anxious and alone because she didn’t know many people in Pune, having recently moved. Sapna recently began attending the Basic Tailoring Class every day with a group of other women who have quickly formed a new support network for her in her new surroundings. Furthermore, for Sapna, who is illiterate and was never aware of her own potential, beginning to learn the basics of sewing has been huge confidence booster, and she is finally feeling capable of pursuing her own goals and hopes. Finally, Sapna hopes that after completing the tailoring course, she will be able to work from home to contribute to her family’s income, which would be a huge help to the family, as her husband’s income is only 3,000 rupees ($60) each month.