Bharati Betgeri is 35 years old. Her son, Akash, is boarding at a primary school one hour from Hubli. Her daughter, Kirti, is in the eighth grade at a boarding school in Haweri, three hours from Hubli, and wants to be a doctor. Fortunately, the government is paying for their education as Bharati cannot afford it. This is one of the privileges of belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC). Bharati visits them every Sunday. She misses them tremendously, but they will remain there up until the age of 16.
Bharati lives with her husband, who sells flowers, and her mother-in-law. She married at the age of 22. She attended school until the age of 19 and then went to college. However, her mother-in-law then forced her to stop her education. At this point she began working with her husband selling flowers. Their combined annual income is Rs 10,000 (€140 per year).
One year ago, following a three month long course offered by Mann Deshi, she started tailoring. She received a microloan of Rs 5,000 (€70) from the India Development Foundation (IDF) and is still repaying it.
Bharati joined the Satara Fashion Project because she wants to become a tailor and earn a stable income. Her husband supports her and allows her to take part.
“I am quite nervous during the course as I do not have the experience that some of the other women have. I don’t find it difficult, but I progress slower than the rest.”
Bharati’s dream is to improve her economic position, start her own shop, and provide her children with an education and financial support.
