„I get motivation and encouragement by working at Chaiim. I never thought I could study, but now I am able to finish school. I want to be a drawing teacher one day. I have gained focus through mentoring and have decided to follow my dream.“

„I came to Chaiim as a beneficiary trainee and today I am training girls at Chaiim Foundation. I learnt a lot at Chaiim that is helping me in my life today. It helps me in coping with so many of the things that I struggled with in my past. I learnt money management which was very difficult for me to understand when I started saving. Today I am really proud that I have money on my bank account. I want to be a designer and I believe one day I will be.“

„Today I feel very proud of myself because I was able to complete my training and now I am doing production work. Chaiim taught me to respect others. Through life skill training I have learnt that my dream of being a successful person one day is possible. I will never give up on my dream now.“

„I have a dream to rebuild my house at my village. We have been very poor and that is why I was trafficked. My job at Chaiim helps me to earn money respectfully and to also do my savings. I have been able to dream a dream which was impossible before. I am thankful to have a dignity labour now and to be able to live a life with my head held high. There is always a joy that overtakes me every morning which was not there last year. Chaiim is changing our lives and I hope that they can bring this change for other girls too. There are others who want to come but cannot. I have been very lucky.“

„I want to be good at working at the sewing machine as I do enjoy working on it. I have learnt so many things through life skill class and English class. I understand the importance of relationships now and that to live your life also means to live in society. Before I did not want to keep relationships.“

„I just joined Chaiim four months ago, but it seems like I have been working here for a long time. Everyone at Chaiim is very friendly and supportive. Right now, I am learning to cut the threads from a garment and to check the fabric from the senior workers. I also have learnt how to iron belts and how to stitch buttons. I enjoy doing it. I have taken full responsibility of ironing with the help from our master cutter and didis (older sisters).“

„This is a good job for me. I stitch and sew on clothes and when I work on the sewing machine, I forget my worries and feel happy. I am able to save money because I am earning it during my training. I want to use this money to buy a sewing machine, so when I go back to my home which is very far from Mumbai, I can work at home and continue to earn money.“

„This job is what I needed and Chaiim helped me. After joining Chaiim I learnt many things, such as how to manage personal problems, how to communicate, how to dress up, how to keep a balance in my emotions etc. I feel happy to be part of Chaiim now and I am looking forward to the next two years at the production unit.“

„I like to come to work at Chaiim because here we start our day with prayer. I learn so many things. I have learnt to do things like cutting, sewing, stitching labels, ironing, stitching small sleeves and folding the garment. I have understood that each garment goes through a lot of processes and every process is important. I have learnt about the different kinds of fabrics and that organic fabric is good for us and for the environment. Before this, I could not imagine that clothes are not good for us. I would like to move further in this department and one day I want to be a quality checker or maybe a sample maker in the sewing industry.“

„I learnt how to make the right decision and good choices. Over the last year I have learnt that choices have a lot of repercussions. Before Chaiim no one ever taught me. Believing in relationships, I have been able to manage my anger. Today I am very confident to go out and work in any new field. I don’t get scared of working in a new place. Things have become better for me.“

„I feel very happy to work at Chaiim, because everyone is so understanding and caring. If I make any mistake they help me to understand and I feel secure and accepted. I learnt many good things through life skill training. I am glad because here I am learning to accept myself the way I am. I am now a thread cutter and work very hard to do a good job. I understand that loose threads do not look good on a finished garment.“

„I like to do stitching on the Juki Machine. When I come to work here it feels like time just flies by. The atmosphere is so different. People here are very nice and caring and I feel secure and cared for. I am saving money, so one day I can start my own business. I want to have a shop of garments where I can sell clothes and become the head of my own business.“

„I thought I will never be able to handle the sewing machine, but I could learn it because of the motivation I receive at Chaiim. I am saving money to have my own home, so my siblings and I can live there together one day.“

„I have learnt how to keep my home, how to budget and cook different dishes.As a trainee I learnt that different vegetables have a lot of different uses and is good for us. I am hoping that I will learn to be a neat seamstress.“

„I like working with the team. We have good teamwork. Since working at Purnaa, I have gained self-esteem and have become confident to live my life even though I am single. As a single mom, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to give my daughter a good education. But Purnaa has helped me send my daughter to a good school. I am excited to learn cutting skills and start my own small tailor shop. I love spending time with my daughter.“

„I like the encouraging environment at Purnaa that helps us grow but not become weary. However, the equal treatment is what I love the most. Because of the life-skills training at Purnaa, I have grown in my personal and social relationships and with the new sewing skills I have learned, I have hope for a good future. Purnaa has given scholarships for quality education for my sons. My dream is to be a skillful sewer and keep growing. I love spending time with my two lovely sons.“

„I like how I’ve learned time management at Purnaa. I have grown in my skills from using a single sewing machine to multiple machines, which has built my confidence to do better in the future. With Purnaa’s health and school benefits, I have been able to support my family. I would like to be a good designer and have my own boutique. I love watching youtube and growing in my pattern making and designing skills. “

„I like the equity in the workplace, the fair treatment, transparency, and equal access to opportunity, and the approachable environment at Purnaa. Actually there are so many things I like about Purnaa. I have learned to speak confidently with respect and love. Before I lacked confidence and didn't know how to speak in love. With benefits, I have become financially strong, providing good education to my children. Before, I used to worry a lot during their school admission time. For myself, women here in Nepal stop dreaming after marriage, but my dream for the future is simply to be healthy and able to keep working at Purnaa as far as I can and to help Purnaa grow and help others. In my free time, I love reorganizing my house and love watching movies with my boys.“

„I love that by working at Purnaa, I have continuous work instead of worrying about where I will get work after short jobs. My life has drastically changed since I started here, I never thought I could come this far. I first worked as a part of Purnaa’s hospitality team and today I am one of the sewers of Purnaa. This has been my dream come true. Benefits have been a great help for my family. I don't have to worry about my daughter's school fees. When I dream about the future, I think about how I would like to go to IIam, the tea-producing town in the eastern region of Nepal. I love to spend time with my daughter and connect with my family over the phone.“

„I love the good teamwork at Purnaa and also that we are in an environment of continuous learning. Since working here, I have learned to be independent. I didn't realize I could learn new skills and be a sewer. Now I feel happy about myself. Also, Purnaa has helped me to pursue my own studies. I never thought that I could go back to school at the age of 21. I would like to complete my school studies and also learn about clothing design. Someday I would like to be able to open my own designing shop. I love spending time with my family by watching movies and making delicious food.“

„My favorite part of working at Purnaa is participating in the Values Training times, they help me be a better person. I have grown personally, professionally, and also socially. My relationship with the people around me has improved and now I feel proud of sharing what I do and where I work. The health, profit-sharing, and school benefits, have helped me save my earnings and have made me financially strong. Now I have also built a good relationship with my family. I dream about someday owning a designing shop. Learning design on Youtube and also connecting with my friends and family is how I use my free time.“

„At Purnaa I love that we have a family environment of love and with a caring nature. I never thought I could reach this far in my life. Now I have a good life for myself and for my children, even as a single mom. I now have started dreaming and have hope for my good life. With Purnaa’s benefits, I have been able to learn how to drive a scooter, get a license, and build a good quality of life for my children. I would like to keep working at Purnaa and give the best life for my children. In my free time, I love connecting with my family who lives far away.“

„Nähen ist mein Hobby und ich finde es schön, dass wir in der Nähwerkstatt ein Team sind. Dank meiner Arbeit dort kann ich in Sicherheit leben und meine Gaben ausleben. Außerdem kann ich meine Familie dank meines guten Gehalts unterstützen. Mein Traum ist es, eine Ausbildung als Schneiderin machen. In meiner Freizeit nähe ich gerne, besuche meine Familie und lerne Deutsch.“

„Die Arbeit bei Ritzi ist sehr schön und ich schätze unser Team sehr. Meine vorherige Arbeit war sehr belastend, die Arbeit hier gefällt mir besser. Mit meinem Lohn kann ich mein eigenes Leben finanzieren und auch meine Familie unterstützen. Mein Wunsch ist es, dass die Werkstatt weiter wächst und wir weiterhin viel Arbeit haben werden. In meiner Freizeit verbringe ich am liebsten Zeit mit meiner Familie.“

„Die Arbeit in der Nähwerkstatt macht mir viel Spaß. Außerdem gefällt es mir, dass sie nahe an meinem Zuhause ist. Als ich keine Arbeit hatte war ich unzufrieden. Jetzt darf ich in einem tollen Team arbeiten in dem wir uns alle gut verstehen. Mit meinem Lohn kann ich meine Familie finanziell unterstützen. Ich wünsche mir, dass die Werkstatt wächst und wir noch mehr Arbeit haben. In meiner Freizeit verbringe ich gerne Zeit mit meiner Familie und besuche Freunde.“

„Seit ich hier bin geht es mir besser und ich kann meine Familie mit Geld unterstützen. Außerdem wird mir zum Beispiel bei Formalitäten und der Wohnungssuche geholfen. In der Produktion schneide ich Stoffe zu und nähe. Mir macht es große Freude, sowohl meine Deutschkenntnisse als auch meine technischen Fähigkeiten zu verbessern. Mein Ziel ist es, eine professionelle Schneiderin zu werden. In meiner Freizeit koche ich gerne und spiele in einem Verein in der Nähe Fußball. “