20-year-old Sanjogita is working to build a house in Odisha for herself and her 17-year-old brother. When she was 11-years-old, she lost her parents to a tragic accident. While she did have an extended family, they could not raise Sanjogita and her brother, so they sent them to an orphanage in Odisha. In the orphanage, she managed to complete 10th grade education followed by training in Agriculture from Industrial Training Institute (ITI). She could not find a job after this, and then the team approached her for the Swabhimaan Training. She immediately enrolled in the training and yet during the training, she often felt disheartened or apprehensive about learning the skill, however it was the trainer Tanuja who encouraged her to practice more to achieve perfection. The young girl completed her training and went to Bangalore to be independent, as she is the primary caretaker of her brother. Sanjogita protects and supports her younger brother, whose disability limits his capacity to make sound decisions.
Sanjogita was elated to be financially independent and is saving 80% of her income for a secure future. She wants to continue her education and work hard to improve her skills. Initially, she did struggle with her job as it was intense and required precision in the work; but now she feels more adept at the skill. I am working hard to build a home for my brother and I in Odisha – this is where all my savings go. Sanjogita works hard for my brother, so she could provide him a better life and a home where he feels comfortable and safe. She never thought that it would be possible for her to leave her brother but this was an opportunity that she could not miss. For Sanjogita, this feels surreal as she could never believe that she would work at an organization like this where she has the chance to save and build a future for herself. As she has been given this opportunity, she wants to make the most of this opportunity, resume her education and save money.
“After I have enough savings, I want to go back to Odisha and start my own enterprise with the knowledge and expertise. I also plan to teach my brother candle making, so he could also be independent eventually. I am happy to be independent and to be able to support my brother; this is the first time I have my own money. This has certainly changed my life for the better.”