70-year-old Kanchan Devi, from Parvaha village in Bihar, is transforming society one stitch at a time. She has been imparting tailoring skills to underprivileged youngsters, elders and widows in her village free of cost for the past 12 years.

Ironically, her journey of empowerment began with unprecedented loss caused by a natural disaster. The 2008 Kosi floods led to immense loss of life, livelihood, infrastructure and property. As is the case in any disaster, the elderly population suffered the most being the most vulnerable and the last in line.
This is when HelpAge India’s Disaster Response Programme stepped in. Set up in 1980, it was the first-of-its-kind among voluntary organisations, equipped to rush in quickly to reach out not only to the elderly but also to the community at large, providing long-lasting rehabilitation.

Through its Livelihoods programme, HelpAge India helped create Elder-Self-Help-Groups (ESHG) in the flood-affected areas to enable the elders to get back on their feet and become financially secure. Kanchan Devi was one of them. She joined the Satguru Bridh ESHG and with the seed money she received, she purchased five sewing machines. She set up a workshop where she began training others, whilst simultaneously running a tailoring business. Many of the youngsters she has trained are now working as tailors in cities such as Delhi, Ludhiana, etc.

Along the way, she continued to face hardships. She lost her husband in 2016, her sole companion. Her only son lost his job and was struggling to find new work. She became his source of strength and got him to join her business.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was at a standstill, she became a key member of HelpAge India’s ‘Saans’ project where ESHG members continued to earn their livelihoods by stitching protective masks.

Kanchan Devi’s incredible story has now spread far and wide and has even been covered by the media. Her noble initiative has helped many people gain employment and generated livelihood in her village. Despite having studied only up to Class 9, she is today a rural social entrepreneur and an inspiration to all those around her!