Assam: With two sewing machines, two Kaliabor women stitch their way to self-reliance

For Pranjana Baruah and Smritirekha Saikia, financial independence began with a simple realisation — constantly depending on their families for money, even for small personal expenses, was not sustainable.

The two highly educated young women from Kaliabor’s Kuworitol area have now taken up tailoring and fashion designing to build an independent livelihood, offering an example to other educated unemployed youths who are struggling to find government jobs.

After completing a six-month fashion designing course in Nagaon, the two friends rented a room beside the National Highway at Kuworitol and started a small tailoring enterprise, SP Ladies Sewing Corner.

With two sewing machines, Baruah and Saikia stitch a range of garments, including blouses, mekhela chadors, school and college uniforms, lehengas, anarkalis and other customised designs.

The duo said becoming self-reliant has enabled them to meet their own expenses without having to regularly seek financial assistance from their families.

They believe that hard work and perseverance are essential for achieving financial independence and that a government job is not the only route to a secure livelihood.

Their initiative comes at a time when a large number of educated youths continue to compete for limited government employment opportunities, while some are also leaving Assam in search of jobs elsewhere.

The two women now plan to expand their initiative beyond their own enterprise. They intend to introduce tailoring and fashion-designing training programmes in the future to help other educated unemployed women acquire skills and generate an independent source of income.

Their journey from completing professional training to setting up a small enterprise highlights how skill development and entrepreneurship can provide alternative avenues of employment for educated youths in Assam.