Tales of Empowerment: Sabhaiben Punraj
Sabhaiben Punraj
Village:Arambhada
SHG:Vakol Mahila Mandal
Sabhaiben is a leader in the making, who has been with Okhai for last 12 years. Her work includes organising fabric from the OST and then getting them to the Okhai centre, where kits are prepared. She then ensures that the kits reach the SHG members who work from home.
She says, "Finishing my household chores, I head to OST and collect the fabric to be worked upon. They are brought to the Okhai centre where I make kits out of them which include thread and any other material that our designers might require. Then I head to the villages carrying these kits and delivering them to Okhai members and also collecting their previous assignments. For every kit deposited and collected, these women have to sign against in the bill book and that helps me update and maintain my record at the end of the day when I reach back at OST." Her work also involves explaining to every member the designs expected, the quality parameters and the importance of meeting delivery times, etc. She also counsels new members on the benefits of joining the Okhai programme.
She comes across as timid, but the clarity and confidence in her speech shows her to be one of the best orators at Okhai and she credits her work for this positive change in her. She is proud of the fact that she earns money and assists her family with the household expenditure. Sabhaiben believes in sharing and has taught her skills to many new members at Okhai.