From Silence to Strength: The Story of Teena

 In the sun-scorched village of Ramsar Palawala, Rajasthan, where farming is the only livelihood and traditions often dictate a woman's fate, Teena was once a quiet observer. Shy and reserved, she belonged to a farmer’s family, where a girl’s education was never a priority. But deep inside, she longed for more than the life set out for her.

In 2021, an opportunity came knocking—the SheDares Program at People’s Awareness Network Society, a program sponsored by Lamberti. A three-month training initiative that brought in experts from Indian Institute of Craft and Designs, it promised skills, confidence, and a chance to break free.

At the time, She had no money to pay for her education, but the program believed in her, covering her fees for the first year. It was here that she found her passion—embroidery and traditional art forms.

As she learned to stitch patterns onto fabric, she was unknowingly stitching together a new life for herself.

From learning to teaching

Between 2021 and 2022, Teena’s journey took a bold turn. She started training at Nila House, a prestigious craft and design organisation, where she honed her skills and began taking workshops for Indian and  foreign travellers of Jaipur.

For the first time, she wasn’t just learning—she was teaching.

But what made her journey truly remarkable was her decision to invest in her own education. In her second year, she paid for her own fees, a revolutionary act in a village where girls were rarely allowed to make financial decisions for themselves.

Her parents, hesitant at first, started to see something they had never imagined—a daughter proving that education could uplift not just an individual, but an entire family. 
As she gained confidence, she started coming home late night from work—another taboo in her community. But this time, no one stopped her. She was earning their trust, one day at a time.

Breaking barriers, one stitch at a time

Between 2022 and 2023, Teena took another leap forward. Under the Parvaah Fellowship Program and the SMILE Internship, she not only strengthened her leadership skills but also developed a passion for teaching English—a language she had never studied before. And yet, she was now teaching others.

In year 2023, she did a project with French artist Anaïs Beaulieua, "Threatened species threatened spaces", where artist embroidered on plastic waste. The art work has been exhibited in one of the museums in Paris.

By 2024, Teena was not just supporting herself—she was supporting her family. She contributed financially and even bought her mother a refrigerator, a small but powerful symbol of progress.

And then, an idea took shape.

One evening, sitting with her sister Neetu, she was thinking what next?  she launched an Instagram page—"Kala Teena"—where she showcased her work, shared tutorials, and took her first steps toward entrepreneurship. What began as a simple passion was now becoming a livelihood.

Revolution at the dinner table

From a shy girl to a trainer, entrepreneur, community leader, and advocate for gender inclusion, Teena’s transformation is nothing short of extraordinary.

But perhaps her most courageous act was within her own home.

In a village where girls are never allowed to choose their own groom, Teena did the unthinkable—she led the conversation about her own marriage. With confidence and clarity, she sat her family down and voiced her choice, proving that change doesn’t always come in revolutions—sometimes, it happens at the dinner table.

Through vocational training, exposure to new opportunities, and unshakable resilience, she has rewritten her own destiny—and is now inspiring others to do the same.

Her story is proof that when a woman learns, an entire community transforms.