Sulochana, 42, has a tailoring business and conducts tailoring training, charging 150 rupees a month for a six-month course. She stitches blouses, skirts, chudidhar, nighties, school uniforms and saris. Her husband’s income in construction is sporadic when sand is not available from the river or when steel prices are too high. They had taken out a loan to build a house and found they could not repay it.

After four loans, Sulochana now has two treadle machines and one electric/treadle combo machine, and she employs two part-time college students at a rate per piece. With lots of schools in the area, Sulochana receives bulk orders in June and uses her trainees to help with the orders. She would like to expand the business with another electric machine and put up shelves full of sale items such as honey, sandalwood, organic soaps, hand loom saris, dotis, and towels.