KAVITA PATHARIA
I am a single mother; my husband passed away when my son was only six months old. I continued living with my in-laws but wanted to manage finances independently for my son's sake. Having learned stitching, I joined a small setup to earn money and took extra work home, stitching clothes on my sewing machine. During this time, my son was growing up and needed my attention at night, but I worked extra hours to earn more, sacrificing time with him. The financial pressure kept me from sleeping peacefully. Eventually, the small setup closed. I began working on my sewing machine near a shop on the street, doing basic stitching work for people. Though it was a bit embarrassing, no work seemed too small at that time. Later, I joined CPAI's Swanama Project, and then the lockdown happened. Despite the challenges, I visited the center during the lockdown to fulfill our first order of stitching masks. We worked through the entire lockdown and completed our first big order. Since then, there has been no turning back. Over the years, our team grew, and we began stitching cloth bags, jute bags, kaftans, and scrunchies. I now head the department, and CPAI has also supported my son's education through Project Shikshan. A year ago, we started the Sakfin project, installing machines in the tribal areas of Nashik, Saki Naka, and Lucknow. I personally visited each center to train women to use the machines and stitch sanitary napkins for production and distribution. This journey has completely transformed me as a woman. I gained confidence and belief in myself. Today, I meet many women who have joined Swanama—single mothers, women with physical disabilities, or underprivileged women wanting to make a change. I see myself in them and love working with them, empowering them to realize their dreams.
