Stitching One Woman’s Life Back Together
In the harsh land of Jharkhand state, India, Salome Paharin found hope through the gift of an electric sewing machine.
For Salome Paharin, whose name means “peace,” peace was hard to come by.
In Jharkhand state, India, where farming makes up 80% of jobs, delayed rainy seasons caused by climate change have devastating effects. With little help from the government and dry, decaying crops, families don’t know where their next meal will come from. More than a third of the rural population lives below the poverty line, and without a means to farm, earning money to buy food is out of reach for many.
Desperate for a way to feed her young children, Salome surveyed what abilities she had. She was able to rent a pedal-powered sewing machine to make and sell clothing, but due to the high rent costs and the slow nature of the machine, she would need to spend the majority of her time and profits to make any return. It was risky, but what other choice did she have?
That was when Tearfund’s partner, EFICOR, stepped in.
Through a food security initiative aiming to reach more than 750 families, EFICOR is equipping women like Salome to not only survive but to thrive. In communities where women are often marginalized, women receive little formal education, and may not speak dominant regional languages like Hindi, this opportunity for change is revolutionary.
EFICOR, in collaboration with the Indian government, provides self-help groups (SHGs) and financial training as part of their wider food security efforts. But in especially vulnerable cases, they go a step further.
Salome Paharin, a mother of three living in Durmachir Pahad, received an electric sewing machine through a loan. “Now I can buy rice and other food for my family and I can save money instead of going to the money lenders who charge a lot,” she shares.
Where she once rented outdated machines that drained her time and income, Salome now earns 800 to 1,200 rupees a week—enough not only to feed her children, but to save, repay her loan, and even prepare for the unexpected: “My savings can serve me and my family in case of any emergency like sickness!” She is no longer just treading water to live, but can see a bright future full of hope ahead of her.
And the story doesn’t end there. Salome has already paid back the full value of her machine, meaning another woman in her SHG can now receive one too. This single act of support is now spreading hope throughout her community!
Tearfund, through faithful partners like EFICOR working through the local Church, brings hope to places where it has long felt out of reach. For Salome, it’s not just about surviving another dry season, but about building a future for her and her family. Thanks to donors like you, Salome now experiences peace.