Bolangir: Residents of Rinbachan village about five km from here have brought in transformation in their lives by taking up tailoring as a vocation, a report said Tuesday
It is a sewing machine that has brought in social and financial change in the lives of villagers and binds them in a bond of brotherhood. This has also made them self-dependent, disciplined and respectable.
Women and youths of half the families in the village have been at the forefront of this movement and teaching the ‘mantra’ of living life with dignity through self-employment. Their grit, dedication and love for work have become an example for others to emulate.
Sources said the village, on the outskirts of Madhipalli panchayat under Sadar block, is inhabited by 200 families consisting of three wards.
However, male and female members of 70 families have taken up tailoring as a means of employment. They took up this job after they learnt tailoring.
This practice has been prevalent in the village for several years now. However, they started working commercially for last 15 years. The villagers have become expert even though none of them had a formal training in tailoring.
Initially, a few women took the plunge which later inspired several girls and women to learn it to stand on their own. Many of the houses have sewing machines where the family members make ladies’ garments, schools and college uniforms and supply them to various shops in Bolangir town.
They were soon joined by their male members. While the women prepared dresses at home, their male counterparts started bringing orders and delivered finished products at shops.
Banita Sahu, a woman, lost her husband in 2009 and her in-laws two years later. The death of her kin in quick succession pushed her into distress. She was pondering how to manage herself and her two grown up daughters when a sewing machine came to her rescue.
She soon learnt tailoring and is now self-dependent. She has married off her two daughters and is living a respectable life without depending on others. Her two daughters are equally adept at tailoring.
Leena Sahu, a college going girl, has been able to earn by taking up tailoring. Similar is the case with Namita Sahu, Bimala Naik, Basanti Naik and Mahima Sahu who have been able to come to the rescue of their families by taking up tailoring.
This has inspired the men folks and many like Ramesh Sahu, Srikant Sahu and Banchha Sahu have brought in changes in their lives by taking up tradition. However, they lament that there is no community centre in the village and the government has not given them any help. PNN
