Chasing dreams

Afirst year pass-out from S.N.D.T College, Pune, Santoshi moved on to live in Mumbai for the very first time after she married. It wasn’t a very glamorous opportunity as she lived in slum in Worli. She had a hearty desire for drawing since a very young age. Most of her sketches comprised of models donning outfits designed by her. Her school friends would shower their praises on them. That’s how the dream of becoming a fashion designer spawned in her. However, financial constraints forced her to stow away her dreams. Her mother was a domestic worker while her father was a daily-wager. Because of her mother’s poor health, her eldest sister took her place and started working as a domestic worker. They used to live at the servants’ quarters where she helped her sister with work.

When she was in her first year, she had access to college-provided courses like basics in fashion and Ayurvedic Naturopathy. Though it posed as a dilemma for her when it came to choose, she made up her mind in the end to pursue the latter. But, she couldn’t as there wasn’t sufficient money available. As the next year approached, she was made to walk the marital journey. Her new in-laws were of the archaic belief that women are supposed to stay home.

Few years went by and she gave birth to her daughter. Santoshi did a great job at being the perfect mother, wife and daughter-in-law. But things went downhill for her when her daughter suffered an epilepsy attack. She was home alone when the incident occurred because of which she had to seek help from her neighbors, financially too. That was when she decided to become independent. She started working as a domestic worker. However, it was still her dream to study Ayurvedic Naturopathy.

Through a friend, she learnt about our skill development training program at the Sewri Centre. She joined the beautician course and completed it successfully. She is currently working at Tip-Top Salon in Worli while studying Ayurvedic Naturopathy. Santoshi is very happy today, as she has found the right way to juggle work, taking care of her daughter and pursuing her dream.