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\Challenging the Destiny: Tania Naaz, Bihar
Tania Naaz, daughter of a sex worker, lives at
Chathurbhuj Asthan, a red light area in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. She is
seventeen years old and has studied upto 9th standard. Tania could not
continue her studies as her father got paralysed and was bed ridden.
She has a younger brother who is 10-year-old and studies in a
government school. Belonging to a Muslim family where girls are not
allowed to step out of the house Tania, made a brave decision by
joining the embroidery programme of Mahila Development Centre (MDC),
an NGO working for the rehabilitation of sex workers and also
preventing their children to be a part of it, despite being condemned
by the family. Constant non-availability of money and pressure from
her parents to follow her mother’s steps led Tania to join the
embroidery programme.
Though, MDC staff and volunteer child managers did inform her about
the bank but it was only after seeing the advancement of other bank
members that Tania opened her account in July 2004. The advance
component of the bank fascinated her and after one year of training in
embroidery and regular deposits in the bank, Tania took an advance of Rs. 5000 from CDB in July 2005 and thus began her own business of
embroidery work.
 She started her embroidery work by receiving orders from the
neighbours but with time the popularity of her work increased
threefold as now the shop keepers want to tie up and do business with
her. She earns Rs. 600 per month and with the money, Tania takes care
of her father’s hospital bills as well as her brother’s school fees.
She intends to participate in exhibitions so that she can show her
talent and thus earn more money.
At present, Tania has returned Rs. 2200 out of Rs 5000 taken as
advance and also has a cash balance of Rs. 1250 in her account. She
has found the Bank very useful, as it is very easy for children to
make use of its services and thus benefit from it. She is enthusiastic
to work for the empowerment of other girls and that is her vision for
the future.
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