A Tail of Three Tailors

If you ever take a trip to India (post-COVID-19, of course), you might find three women living near our Tamil site. Though they come from very different backgrounds, they all have one thing in common. 

Ms. Selvi’s father died not long ago, and she lives in a thatched house with her mother, older brother and younger sister. She completed grade 12, but no further. 

Mrs. Priya lives with her mother-in-law, husband and two children. One child is in grade one, while the other is four years old. 

Mrs. Easu lives with her husband and two children. She and her husband are both agricultural workers, but the money hasn’t been enough to support the family. They desperately needed another source of income.  

Thus Mrs. Easu began the program that unites all three women: the free Skills at Chalice tailoring course. The program teaches women and youth skills that are in demand, such as tailoring, spoken English, or information and communication technology. Grads walk away with fresh skills, ready to join the workforce and support their families. 

After completing the course, Ms. Selvi and Mrs. Priya both began practicing stitching on a neighbor’s sewing machine. However, the benefits were limited: doing this meant they both gave up some income to their neighbors. 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Easu didn’t have access to any sewing machine, so she couldn’t practice stitching at all after the course.  

All three approached the Tamil site about getting their own sewing machines. Thanks to the generosity of Chalice supporters and the work of staff, there was money for each of them to get their own machine. 

All three women, site staff write, can now earn income, and are thankful for the support from Chalice donors.