Baji - Hopeful and Resiliant

 

Bhaji is a lively single mother of 5 girls aged 10-29. She is a fabulous cook and a gracious hostess who will fill your tummy with pakaoras (a deep fried yummy snack she whoops up in no time!) and your heart with joy over a Chai break. She can move you from belly laughter to tears as she shares the stories of her life. Shamed and left by her husband with no means of income when her youngest was 2, she and her oldest daughter were trained with VA how to bead jewelry, interact with their own suppliers in Delhi and then oversee others. Nearly 10 years later, the family fully support themselves through the art of hand making jewelry. This is a rigorous schedule for Bhaji to keep, as 4 of the girls are in school from grade 5 to college all with the VA School Sponsorship Program.  The 3 eldest are running the business and they have now trained 16 other young women to work alongside them. This is a dream come true! Each time you “wear and share” a VA piece of jewelry you are a part of Baji’s story of dignity and hope for her family and the women she is now offering hope to.

“ I thank God everyday that through this work I never had to send one of my girls outside to work. They are safe with me doing work that makes us proud.”

“ My dream is to see more women helped through this kind of work that shows we can do anything with hard work, good training and a caring community. I love our VA family and I love that it is growing!”