Meet the Family Helping Thousands of Rural Women Learn Stitching, Computers & Earn Money

On most mornings in Kolia, a soft mechanical buzz rises from a small room where sewing machines line the floor. Women sit shoulder to shoulder, guiding fabric beneath the needle. Some pause to correct a stitch. Others exchange smiles when their lines finally come out straight. A trainer moves between the tables, adjusting thread tension or demonstrating a technique with patient movements.

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For many of these women, this room marks a return to learning after years away from any classroom. For some, it is also the first time they are earning an income of their own.

The space where they sit once functioned as a maternity hospital. Years ago, its corridors felt uncertain and its future unclear. Today, the same walls hold different stories. Women discovering skills they never thought they could learn. Children touching keyboards for the first time. Families finding stability through steady work.

The transformation did not happen overnight. It grew from decisions taken over many years by a family determined to remain connected to the village they came from.

A family’s promise carried forward

The story of this work begins with the Gupta family’s long relationship with Kolia. For generations, they watched elders step in whenever the village faced hardship. That sense of responsibility guided their choices when the maternity hospital they had set up in 2007 struggled to grow due to limited government support and the difficulty of finding doctors.

“There was a need for a maternity hospital in our village, but due to a lack of government support, we were not able to scale for about three to four years. The hospital lacked doctors and felt like a failed plan, but we did not lose hope and instead created a skill development centre for the people of our village,” says Babulal Gupta.

Rather than letting the space fall into disuse, Babulal and his family chose to rethink its purpose. Under the ‘Shri Babulal Gupta Foundation’, the building was reshaped into a centre where learning could offer another form of security and dignity.

The room that began rewriting futures

In 2015, the space formally reopened as a skill development centre. The early classes were small. Tailoring and stitching came first, followed by basic computer training. These programmes grew from conversations with local panchayats and the family’s understanding of the village’s needs.

“We identified key gaps in the village by speaking to the local panchayats, and since it is our paternal village, we already understood its demographics,” says Babulal.

Women arrived cautiously. Many had never worked outside their homes. Some held a sewing needle for the first time in their lives. They returned the next day, and the day after that.

“We saw a real opportunity to train women in Kolia and create employment for them, while also imparting education and practical knowledge to the children,” he adds.

Over time, hesitation gave way to confidence. The room began filling with conversation, practice, and shared learning.

Women who carried the change forward

Today, around 30 to 40 women train at the centre every quarter. Over the years, more than 1,000 women have completed tailoring and stitching courses. Over 300 girls have learnt basic beauty parlour skills. More than 600 girls and boys have received training in computer literacy and accounting.

In Kolia, all courses are completely free. The foundation provides materials, covers labour and transport costs, and ensures access to computers. Women do not pay any fee.

Many begin by stitching pillow covers, saree blouses, and petticoats from home, earning a steady income without travelling far. Some later return as trainers.

Pooja, now 20, is one of them.

“Till Class 12, I had no knowledge of computers,” she says. “But after joining the course here, I learnt basic skills and gained confidence. Now, I teach children at the DD Computer Centre in our village, and I feel so proud. My dream is to teach kids beyond our village and continue learning more about computers.”

Priyanka, another woman from Kolia, followed a similar path. “I joined the foundation four years ago as a student. Today, I’ve trained over 30 girls in stitching and tailoring. I’m truly grateful to the foundation for making me capable enough to support my entire family,” she says.

Muskan’s story adds another layer of meaning to the space.

“Before 2024, I had no clue about stitching or tailoring. After six months of training, I can now make luggage bags, handbags, stitch pants and suits, and earn my own income,” she says.

Each journey looks different, but the outcome is shared. Skills turn into confidence. Confidence turns into choice.

Healing as another form of empowerment

Alongside skills training, the foundation also began addressing healthcare needs that many families struggled to afford.

It has facilitated more than 250 cataract surgeries, conducted over 2,500 eye check-ups, and donated artificial limbs in collaboration with the Karnataka Marwari Youth Federation, Sri Bhagwan Mahavir Jain Hospital, and the Sugam Charitable Foundation.

“We realised that many treatments were far too expensive for villagers, so we began organising eye camps, providing glasses and medicines completely free,” says Babulal.

Babulal’s son, Gaurav Gupta, reflects on the impact of this work. “For people who’ve lost limbs in accidents or polio, seeing them walk again, use their hands again, and look at the world clearly is a feeling so pure and satisfying that I can’t even put it into words.”

The foundation’s work extends to Bengaluru as well, where it began operating around 2007 — a natural choice since Babulal has lived in the city since 1966. In Bengaluru, the foundation supports around 400 to 500 dialysis patients every year, helps 70 to 80 cataract patients annually, and has donated around 100 artificial limbs in the past year.

What hope looks like in this tiny village

Running programmes across two states brings challenges for the Guptas. Funding comes entirely from the family. Trainers can be difficult to find. Unexpected gaps in classes sometimes lead to students dropping out.

What keeps the work going is the change they see around them.

“Our mission has always been to empower women,” says Babulal. “When we see the women of Kolia becoming financially independent, supporting their families, sending their children to school, finding jobs that pay Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, it truly fills our hearts with happiness.”

The foundation now aims to train 500 women every quarter and help them grow their earnings through stronger accounting and computer skills.

For Babulal and his children, Gaurav and Namrata, every woman who walks into the classroom signals a fresh start. They have seen progress take shape in simple moments: a finished garment, a child learning something new, a family proud of a woman’s first income.

These moments have changed Kolia from within. The women brought the courage, the teachers shaped the learning, and the foundation created the space. Together, they are building a future where opportunity belongs to everyone who reaches for it.