A gifted tailor, Raj attended RugMark rehabilitation center. Today he has thriving business sewing clothing for customers, and students who attend RugMark schools wear uniforms tailored by Raj and his staff.

Raj was freed from work on a carpet loom by RugMark inspectors in 1996. He learned tailoring at Balashrya, a rehabilitation center in India, and proved to be astonishingly skilled. When he left the center, he was given a sewing machine as a farewell gift – the first step towards his own business. RugMark became the young tailor’s first customer, hiring him to sew new uniforms for Balashrya students. He set up a tailor’s shop near his home village. Word spread of his finely-tuned skill, and soon Raj Kumar had more customers.

Raj earned between 1500 and 2000 rupees a month with his shop – approximately $40 – a substantial income where he lives in Northern India. Recently he bought a second sewing machine and hired an assistant – his friend Atharam. Now he plans further expansion. “I want to be well-known in this region for being a really good tailor,” he says. “Whenever I come to visit my friends, I give them courage and tell them that they can do it too,” says the young man.

Looking back, Raj’s story is remarkable because he comes from an extremely poor family. His father is mentally disabled and was hardly able to look after Raj and his four brothers and sisters. Thus, Raj Kumar started weaving carpets when he was a child to provide for himself and his family. “I don’t know what would have become of me had I not come to Balashrya,” he says today.

 More Children's Stories