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Musrrat Ali

"Hello, I am Musrrat Ali and I come from a farmer's family. I was born and brought up in a small village in Uttar Pradesh state. We are two brothers and two sisters. My father was a farmer and we hardly managed to make ends meet. Due to these conditions, we could not get the best education. My brother and I went to a government primary school while my sisters studied Urdu in Madrassa. I could study not further than 5th standard, after which I started to help my father in the field. But our financial condition weakened, so my brother and I ventured out of our village hoping to earn a living.

"One of our distant relatives was running a small handicraft workshop. He was kind enough to teach us the craft of embroidery and beadwork. In only a few months, we completely learned the art. Thereafter, we worked for him for several years.

"When I was fully convinced that I could, I started out on my own. Initially I worked for traders, but this gave us very little profit. Eventually I got registered as a full time craftsman. With this, I had the opportunity to participate in government sponsored exhibitions all over India.

"It has been a good ride so far and I've achieved my dream – to gain a decent livelihood for my family. I work with artisans in my village, as half of my family is there. I am happy to be associated with Novica."