Maya's Story
Maya married young and shortly after became quite ill. Desperate for money and help, she and her husband moved to Dehradun to look for work and medical attention. A friend told Maya about Asha Kiran, an organization that partnered with Hope For Women. The organization gave her medical treatment and offered her a part-time job making flowered cards.
Healthy again, Maya was now able to help support her family with her new skills. Maya’s husband is a part time tailor. His job does not provide a regular income. Her daughter lives with her husband’s family, while her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren all live with Maya and her husband.
Neither her son nor her daughter-in-law have regular jobs; Maya is the only regularly employed family member. She is proud to have a savings account into which she is able to make regular deposits each month. The rest she invests in her family – her greatest pride is paying for her grandchildren’s education.
Maya works full time for Hope For Women where she trains other women in the art of card making as well as producing her own unique designs. She hopes to use the extra money that a higher demand for handmade cards will bring for home improvements, which she badly needs. Like the other Hope For Women artisans, she appreciates having her own income, which is empowering for her as a woman.
- Maya surrounded by the family she supports
