Bantala: An epitome of hard work and strong determination, Sujata Pradhan, 41, of a tribal-dominated Nuakhetar village of Badakantakula panchayat under Bantala block in Angul district is carving out path of success for other tribal women in her area.
She was not like other girls. Get married at a young age, live under a husband and bear children. She always wanted to standout in the society, create a niche for herself and pave path for other women in the society.
Her inner desire, strong will to standout and become an example has now given her a new identity. She now holds the title of the ‘best tailor’ in her area. She is the most sought after tailor in the area and women of all ages reach to her shop for stitching any kinds of clothes.
She is not limited there. She also owns two chicken farms in her village that earn her huge profits. She now lives a life of dignity and respect.
Had she married early like other girls, she would be sitting at home and taking care of her children, she quips when asked about her idea of opening a tailor shop in the male tailor-dominant region.
Born to Hemant Kumar Pradhan, Sujata was the fifth girl in the family among seven daughters. From an early age, she wanted to take a different path and standout in the society.
With seven girls in the family, her father wanted her to get married. But, she chose to study and attended Bantala Government College after her matriculation. It was during her college days, she was pulled into tailoring that was imparted at free of cost by government.
While she completed her college, she also continued tailoring. Later in 2004, she was appointed to teach tailoring to other girls by an NGO. After working for few years, she opened a chicken farm in the village by taking loan from a bank in 2009.
Reaping the profit, she repaid all her loans and set up another chicken farm. Since then, there has been no turning back. Her business has been growing bounds and leaps bringing her enough profit to run her family.
Now, she also runs her own tailoring shop in Angul where she has provided job to a couple of other girls. With her sheer hard work, she has managed to attract customers. Everyday, customers make a beeline in her shop for dresses to be stitched.
“I want to be an example for other girls who limit themselves to the wishes of their family members and sometimes family situation. Everyone needs to stand out to make the society a better place to live in,” she says when asked about her source of energy to keep going.
She also plans to buy a plot in future and open a tailoring training institute where needy girls can learn tailoring and create their own identity.
PNN