The Problem and Motivation Behind
“My circumstances were so bad that I couldn’t even eat food twice a day …I was already good at stitching. I just needed the opportunity” – Yasmeen.
Yasmeen Khatun (23-year-old) grew up in poverty with limited access to education and work opportunities. She had a talent for stitching, but her situation made it hard to turn that skill into a source of income. In rural areas of India, tailoring is one of the most common activities taken up by women. However, when many women in the same area offer the same service, the number of customers for each one decreases, making it difficult to earn enough and sustain their work overtime.
That changed when Yasmeen met with the mentor from the Youth-led Innovation Action Lab who encouraged her to use her existing talents and collaborate with other young women in her community, starting their stitching center.
The Innovative Solution
“If I was alone, I could only stitch. But with a group, one can stitch, another can go out, and someone else can manage the shop. It’s much better this way … every girl here is earning 5,000 to 6,000 Rupees (about $70) a month now. It’s working really well.” – Yasmeen.
When Yasmeen joined the Youth-led Innovation Action Lab, she was encouraged to build on her stitching skills and explore the needs of her community in this area. She also learned that working as a team could help improve product quality, increase output, and lower costs. It would also make it possible to take on larger orders.
This inspired her to launch the Roshni Stitching Centre with three other young women. Together, they run a small, collective tailoring business offering stitching services, especially for local customers who bring in fabric for custom tailoring. The team divided their responsibilities based on individual strengths—some focused on stitching, while others took care of marketing, purchasing, and managing the shop.
Although they started with limited resources, their direct engagement with customers and consistent, reliable service helped them earn trust in the community. Clients now bring in regular work, and the centre is becoming known as a dependable local tailoring hub. Over time, they began generating a steady income, which has been life changing. What began with four women in a modest workspace now provides financial stability and a growing sense of dignity and independence.
Lessons Learned and Addressing Challenges
“We’ve learnt how to market our work, how to talk to customers, how to set prices, and how to save money.” – Yasmeen
The Youth Innovation Action Lab provided Yasmeen and her team with basic training on product making and business-related skills such as marketing and book-keeping. These skills have been fundamental for their work. Additionally, mentors and partner organisation guided them through the process of opening a bank account, developing their business strategy, and thinking long-term.
Reflecting on their experience, Yasmine identified two lessons learned:
- Collective work builds strength, accountability, and shared success: By running Roshni Stitching Centre collectively, Yasmeen and her three teammates were able to divide responsibilities, reduce stress, and support each other’s growth. This cooperative model didn’t just improve their productivity—it also built a sense of mutual accountability and pride in their shared achievement. Working collectively helped them overcome challenges and strengthened their belief in what they could accomplish together.
- Access to financial support is vital for sustaining and growing youth-led innovations: Their biggest challenge came when their landlord asked them to vacate their space, putting their centre at risk. But instead of giving up, they applied for a loan and began looking for a new shop in the main market—turning a major setback into an opportunity for growth. This highlights how important it is for young entrepreneurs to have access to financial support, especially in the form of small loans.
Next Steps and Future Aspirations
“We want to see our centre become a brand. We want our own shop, with all the materials and equipment.” – Yasmeen
Looking ahead, Yasmeen and her team dream of expanding the Roshni Stitching Centre into a recognised brand. They aim to open a fully equipped shop in a busy market area, stock materials for walk-in customers, and even train other girls in stitching and business management.