I am Sakambari Rout. I am 19 and my home is in a small village called Dhobadipatapur in Ganjam District of Orissa. My father Shatrughana Rout holds a Below Poverty Line (BPL) card issued by the Government. Since he could not afford my education, I dropped out from school in the 8th Grade.

My mornings would often

start with collection of

fodder for the cattle

Every moment was a battle for

survival

After my mother passed away, I was brought up by my 75 year old grandmother; I was least of my priority

I made several attempts to do

something which I felt was

worthwhile. Often, I tried to

find time to complete my

schooling but in vain

But the story of my past. My present tells a different one. I found an option to start my life afresh when I joined the SEAM Programme on the 1st November 2008 and completed my training on the 30th November 2008

I came to know about the SEAM programme from social workers and our village headman

IL&FS counsellors for the SEAM

Learning from the on-screen

multi-media and working on the machine was easy for me

The trainers taught us how to

operate the machine and get it to do the things that we wanted

Each of us produced a shirt

and a bag as part of the training

module

Besides technical skill training, we learnt soft skills,

languages such as Hindi, English, traffic signals,

reading signage,

AIDS and other blood tests were conducted

Knew the village Vaidya

center health check up was done by a

Doctor once a week

While I was undergoing training We stayed together in a hostel and nutritious food was served to us

Physical fitness was another area of importance during the training, Yoga, in particular, helped me focus

We came to know how to keep ourselves clean and use sanitary napkins

We undertook community work once a week, and realised our greater role in the society

On completion of the training, we were selected to work in a large

garment factory in a different part of

the country

Before embarking on my journey, I thanked everyone for giving me such an opportunity to start a new life

For a month I had a home, a family to

take care of me and trainers as my true

parents

I feel lucky among

BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE

I was travelling by train for the first time and was scared; but the thought that I was about to start a life with dignity made me

By the time the train pulled into Thiruvananthapuram station, my confidence had grown and I was dreaming of sending money to my

Helped by HR officers and IL&FS counsellors, I understood the rules and regulations of my new employers

I still cannot believe that I am

and earning

That

such a large factory

In one month my life

The sewing machine operator training has made me realise more than I had ever imagined It has provided self esteem and respect The salary I get is adequate to take care of my needs and send some for my grandmother