The confidence on her face says it all. Her hands and legs working in sync on the sewing machine is something that makes 32 years old Gayatri self-reliant. Studied till her 8^th standard, Gayatri today runs her own Tailoring Shop in her village – Chapri.

Gayatri stays with her husband who is a bhajan singer, her in-laws, and her 4 children. To help her husband in running the house and educating her children, two years back Gayatri started stitching garments at home, but her efforts did not fetch enough income.

In such times of difficulty, Hindustan Zinc’s Sakhi Project came as a good fortune in her life.

Gayatri has been a part of Bherunath Samooh under Sakhi Project, since 2017. Within one year’s time, Gayatri opened her own tailoring shop in her village. With the help of the loan of Rs 2000 taken from her samooh and her savings, she bought a Sewing Machine worth Rs. 6000, for herself.

Today, she earns around Rs 3,500 – Rs 4,500 on a monthly basis and helps her husband in saving for their children’s education.

“Hindustan Zinc has supported us entirely and is the reason for mine and other Sakhis’ confidence and self-reliance. I am very grateful to Hindustan Zinc for giving us an opportunity to dream big…”, says Gayatri, glazed with pride.

Gayatri and other Sakhi women from her village are now coming out of their four walls and holding meetings in the village and meeting with the Sarpanch.

Hindustan Zinc through its Sakhi Project is socio-economically empowering more than 19,800 rural & tribal women in 5 districts of Rajasthan, namely Udaipur, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh & Rajsamand and in Pantnagar district of Uttarakhand.