From Child Bride to Financial Independence, How Sambhali Changed Saroj’s Life

At an age when she should have been living her life as any other child playing with dolls and reading books, Saroj Juliya was instead a child bride. Today, at age 22, she still lives with her parents and eight siblings and has not been sent to her husband's home just yet. Despite being the youngest of the family, Saroj does not shy away from her duties; she contributes to the household and shoulders responsibility in the family.

In 2013, Saroj learned about the Sambhali Trust Empowerment Center in her area from a volunteer and tutor who were surveying her neighborhood looking for participants.

She was thrilled to hear about the opportunity and joined the Empowerment Center, where she quickly impressed the sewing tutor with her skills. After she graduated, she was asked to join the Sambhali Dastakar contribute her skills towards completing Sambhali Boutique orders. Simultaneously, she was able to take orders from people in her neighborhood to make alterations at home and soon started stitching clothes. 

Today, Saroj adds to the family income by utilizing her sewing skills. She also qualified and obtained a loan through the Self Help Group within the Sambhali Trust. This loan allowed her to bring back her mother's mortgaged jewelry in a society where family jewelry is an important source of savings and an important part of the culture. Sambhali Trust also provided Saroj with financial support to make emergency repairs at home.

With her network at Sambhali, Saroj has role models that help guide her decisions in life and help her shape the future she wants. Today she is confident, independent, and serves as strong support for her family. Most importantly, she is thrilled with her achievements and that she makes her family proud.