In the quiet village of Dagar Awaan, nestled within Pakistan’s Bhakkar district, Rafia Bibi’s life has been a testament to determination. As the only sister to three brothers and the daughter of a daily wager, Rafia’s dreams are often overshadowed by the harsh realities of her family’s financial struggles. After completing her fifth grade, her education ended abruptly, not due to a lack of will but because her family could not afford to send her to school any longer.
But Rafia never let go of her aspirations. At 27, she still held onto the hope of a better future, even as she helped her family make ends meet. When Bedari Pakistan’s Sakhi Saheli Centre offered a one-month stitching course, Rafia saw a chance to carve out a new path for herself. The Commonwealth of Learning’s (COL) Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) project community partner, Bedari, is a Pakistani NGO that works with women and children to promote and protect their human rights.
Under the skilled guidance of her trainer, Ms Ghulshan Rafia, along with other determined women, learned the art of stitching. “Learning to stitch opened new possibilities for me. It was not just about sewing clothes; it was about sewing a better future for myself and my family,” Rafia recalled with a smile.
As part of the training plan with Bedari, Rafia also participated in financial literacy training, which proved to be a crucial step in her entrepreneurial journey. She developed a business plan and had the opportunity to meet with bank representatives who could provide her and her peers with easy loans to start their own businesses.
With her newfound skills, Rafia and another trainee, driven by their shared vision, decided to establish their stitching centre. This centre has become a beacon of opportunity in the village, where women and girls come together to gain skills, build confidence, and support each other.
Rafia manages the day-to-day operations with a sense of pride, while Ms Ghulshan continues to provide advanced training to the participants. “I want to create a space where women in our village can learn, grow, and support each other. This centre is just the beginning of something much bigger,” Rafia said, her eyes shining with hope.
Now, Rafia dreams of registering her centre and ensuring its impact continues to grow. Her journey, along with the journeys of the other women trained at the Sakhi Saheli Centre, is a powerful reminder that with the right skills, support, and a little bit of courage, even the most modest beginnings can lead to extraordinary transformations.
Through her perseverance, Rafia Bibi has stitched together fabrics and created hope, opportunity, and empowerment for herself and countless others in her village.
Their centres have provided them financial independence and sparked positive changes in their villages. These centres have done more than boost incomes; they have created a ripple effect of opportunity and growth. By teaching others to stitch, they are fostering economic stability in their communities. Their success illustrates how skill training can transform lives and turn local businesses into beacons of hope and prosperity.
