In 2016, Rukhsana, now 32, was working as a primary school teacher in her local school in the village of Tilbegumpur, Uttar-Pradesh, India, when she was approached by a member of staff at Goodweave. He was setting up the Child Friendly Community Project, a new initiative focused on identifying vulnerable children in artisan communities and working with schools and local authorities to provide them with access to education. He asked Ruhksana if she’d like to be a part of the project and she agreed, initially thinking that she’d only stay for a couple of months. Little did she know, however, that this new role would spark a new passion for teaching. “I thought I’d work during the school vacation and leave thereafter,” Ruhksana explains, “but I could never leave.”
As a mother of three, Rukhsana recognised the importance and impact of education. She also knew that not every family was fortunate enough to support their child through school in the same way that she could.
The parents of the children that Ruhksana works with are mostly daily wage workers, the majority of whom do not have the time or the energy to invest in their children’s education – something that the facilitators are helping them achieve. “Vulnerable children from home-based and garment hand-work communities have very limited access to education,” she tells us. “But because of us, they get to study.”
Through the project, Rukhsana has been able to:
What to Wear to the Races
Mix and Match: 4 Co-Ords to Wear This Spring
3 Runway-Inspired Prom Night Looks
