Sangrur women stitching together a good future

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. Last year 18 women of Sangrur had completed an order of 520 uniforms from their homes, earning a profit of Rs 20 to 25 per uniform. Today the team consists of 150 members, increased profits, a proper set up in Akalgarh village and their turnover is going to touch Rs 1.5 crore.

Women of different Self Help Groups (SHGs), of different villages had joined Promoting Employment of Households through Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (PEHEL), introduced by Sangrur administration to set up their small enterprises.They took their first project of stitching uniforms for government schools in August 2022. This May, the NREGA bhawan of Akalgarh was renovated and converted into PEHEL livelihood hosiery.

Women from 20 villages work here including Chhahar, Jakhepal, Satauj, Gobindgarh. As the hosiery is located on the main Sangrur-Sunam road women easily travel by bus to work and even to pick stuff and deliver it.

Manpreet Kaur, a class X pass said, “I didn’t study after X, but stitching is helping me stand on my feet.” Sukhjeet Kaur, a XII pass said, “My father works as a daily wager, my brother is younger to me. It is good that I am contributing to the family, being self dependent is a must these days.”
“Shaheed Udham Singh Block Sangathan (regd) is a block level federation of Sunam and the hosiery has been established under this Sangathan.

The Punjab State Rural Livelihood Mission provides investment funds to such sangathans. Funds provided by the livelihood mission to Sangathan helped in purchasing machines and renovating the buildings,” said District Accountant, Rajinder Sharma, Block Program Manager, Vikrant Kumar, said,”Around 5 lakh was spent in purchase of umbrella machines, steam press, cutting machine, buttonhole and overlocking machine, while another 1.5 lakh was spent in renovating the building.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Varjeet Walia, said, “They are about to get the order of stitching uniforms of the pre-nursery section of government schools of Sangrur, with that, in the first year itself, their turnover is going to touch 1.5 crore.” Information reveals that an autorickshaw company has also approached them for getting uniforms stitched. Sanpreet Kaur, an MBA, is the manager of this hosiery who maintains proper record of stock in online as well as offline mode apart from supervising the entire project.

Apart from Sanpreet, two more women Sandeep Kaur and Mamta have been employed by the hosiery company. They do steam pressing, buttonhole , overlocking, and also packing jobs after clothes are stitched. Uniform kits they stitch for girls include, salwar kameez, shoes, socks, cap, dupatta, pullover while for boys it is pants, shirt, socks, shoes, cap, turban, pullover. Each set is sold by the hosiery at Rs 600 to the schools.