Impact Stories

No matter how difficult the present is and how demoralised you feel about circumstances around you, you can always rise above them. That’s what a young lady from Tamil Nadu has demonstrated through her journey so far. For the most part of her life, Vinothini has seen poverty and the struggle to make both ends meet. Her parents, who are sanitation workers for the past 30 years, manage each day with their daily wages.

For Vinothini, hardship was more than just poor economic condition, it was also about how her neighbours and community looked at her entire family when her mother was diagnosed with leprosy. Her mother got cured of the disease, but the scars of stigma stayed with her for a long time.
While navigating through these challenges, Vinothini came to know about The Leprosy Mission Regional Vocational Training Centre (TLMRVTC) through the District Leprosy Officer of Nagapattinam— a district in southern part of Tamil Nadu. After being counselled by the TLM Regional VTC instructors, she felt it was a good opportunity to get herself skilled. She signed up for sewing technology, a trade that is recognised by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET).

After undergoing rigorous training at TLMRVTC, Vinothini completed the Sewing Technology course in February 2022. She not only passed NCVET exam successfully, but also got NATIONAL LEVEL TOPPER CERTIFICATE. “I attribute this excellent result to my instructors in TLMRVTC. What I also liked about them in their efforts at helping me get a placement,” says Vinothini. The Leprosy Mission helped Vinothini secure a job in one of the reputed export companies, White House, in Chennai.

She is glad to have found a new purpose in her life, and she is happy with her work and her colleagues. She earns INR 10, 500 per month with free accommodation and food. “I am happy to be able to support my aged parents with my earning,” says Vinothini, who wants to now pursue fashion designing.