Muskan is a 15-year-old girl born to a Muslim family. Her father is a daily wage worker and her mother is a housewife. Muskan is the eldest sibling and has 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Her family is too poor for the children to own a cell phone and because of this, she was unable to access online learning during the COVID pandemic, and therefore she had no choice but to stop attending school. At the end of the lockdown, she was informed by the school that she was behind in her studies and she was not permitted to return to school. Added to this Muskan’s parents could not afford the school fees for all of the siblings.
Muskan, still wanting to learn and grow, took admission in the Women’s Sewing Centre a vocational training program started for women by Project Help India. She is currently in the final month of her sewing diploma course. She feels confident that she has learnt many new skills and with ongoing guidance and mentoring from Project Help she will start a small sewing business. Muskan now keeps herself very busy making repairs to her brothers and sister’s clothes and creating new clothes for them too. Her skills have also progressed enough for her to sometimes work in her uncle’s tailoring shop.
After the COVID lockdown last year she was becoming very anxious about what was ahead for her future. She is grateful for now having an opportunity that gives her confidence for her life. Muskan thanks Project Help for assisting her in achieving her dream. Further to this, by changing Muskan’s life, her entire family has benefited in many ways too.