“Before, I simply loved sewing. Now I understand that it can become my work and help me provide for my children,” says Nargiza, a mother of three from Khorezm, Uzbekistan.
Not long ago, Nargiza could not have imagined saying this. After her husband died, she was left to raise their three children alone. Along with her grief, she suddenly carried full responsibility for the family. Money was tight, the house needed repairs, the children were struggling with the loss of their father, and a steady income seemed out of reach.
The turning point came when the family met social workers from the SOS Children’s Villages family strengthening programme in Khorezm. With their support, the atmosphere at home gradually became calmer, the children grew more open and Nargiza began to believe in her own abilities again.
The next challenge was income. Nargiza had loved sewing since childhood, and a business training organised by the programme, together with a business development specialist, helped her see that her hobby could become a livelihood.
The next step came from Nargiza herself. She approached the local community support group and received a subsidy to buy a sewing machine. Today, she sews bedding, sells it at the local market and is gradually growing her small business. The sewing machine has become more than a tool. It allows her to build on her own skills and make decisions about her family’s future.
Her children are moving forward too. Her eldest son has enrolled at university and is learning a trade at a furniture workshop. The younger children have become more active and sociable, and their school results have improved. Life-skills and leadership sessions have helped them grow in confidence.
Nargiza still carries a lot. She works and raises three children. But today she has what she once lacked: the ability to shape her family’s future through her own efforts, with her children growing up together at home.
The SOS Children’s Villages family strengthening programme in Khorezm supports families facing hardship so that children can grow up safely in their own families.
Photos and story: © SOS Children’s Villages in Uzbekistan
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