Meet Rita Who Finds Purpose in Life at Sambhali

Rita Nirmal, 52 years old, has been with Sambhali Trust for over 12 years, making her one of the most senior and most experienced team members. Prior to joining Sambhali, Rita worked from home by doing beading work on the hems of saris, tailoring, and alterations. Her joyous outlook on life exudes from her face. She was introduced to Sambhali by an acquaintance, after which she joined the Fatima Empowerment Center for one year, where she spent her time learning more about sewing and embroidery as well as classes in Hindi, English, and math. Due to her commitment to learning, she later joined Sambhali Trust’s Graduate Sewing Center, where she found a purpose and demonstrated excitement by coming to the center every day. She thoroughly enjoyed hand-making products to complete orders and learning new things. She shared that through Sambhali she was able to expand and polish her skills with time, effort, and guidance.

Even though she kept busy working from home, she struggled to make ends meet during the recent pandemic lockdowns, causing many frustrations and hardships. However, Sambhali Trust extended support to Rita, making sure her family had food and that she knew help was just a phone call away. In return, she was a part of the team that proudly created reusable masks that both brought Rita much-needed income and made the community safer.

The sewing center allowed Rita to build a family outside of the home, a network where she could build social relationships and learn valuable skills. Simultaneously, by being at the sewing center, she relieved her stress and found purpose in the daily tasks required to complete orders. Being one of the oldest members of Sambhali, Rita now finds joy in motivating others to move forward and work hard to achieve their goals.