Urmila Shukla lives in Bagruiya village of Shravasti district, where her workday begins early and often stretches late into the night. Today, she runs a small tailoring shop called Kirti Silai Centre, but the path to a stable storefront was gradual, shaped by years of learning, domestic responsibilities, and cautious decisions taken at different stages of her life.Shukla learned stitching as a teenager while she was still studying. Training outside her village, before marriage brought her to Shravasti. Formal education was halted after the shift, but the skill stayed with her. For years, she worked from home, using a single machine to stitch clothes for neighbours and acquaintances who came with small, routine requests. At the time, the work was modest and fitted around household duties, with no clear plan to turn it into a business.Over time, word spread beyond the village. Clothes began arriving from nearby localities and the volume of work grew enough for her to consider a separate space. The decision to move out of the house was not immediate. Her husband was away working and the family weighed the risk of rent against uncertain income. Eventually, a small shop was rented, and she began by offering… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
