When Shumayla first walked into the Sabaat center in Shiv Vihar, in Northeast Delhi three months ago, she had never touched a sewing machine. Today the 19-year-old proudly stitches clothes for all. “I started from the basics and now I can sew entire outfits. It feels good to create something with my own hands,” she says.”

An initiative of the Miles2Smile Foundation launched in 2020, Sabaat started three years ago to provide a safe and inclusive learning space for women who lost their means of livelihood or never had access to formal training. It offers courses in tailoring, painting, and soon, computer literacy.

Inside the center, women sit shoulder to shoulder at sewing machines, crafting frocks, salwar suits, and tote bags. The products are both for personal use and for sale through boutique orders — a source of income and growing confidence for the makers.

Shabnam, who lives in a joint family and is raising three children, shares how the journey hasn’t been easy. “Managing household chores and coming here is tough,” she says. “People stare when I return. They say things like, ‘Back from college?’ But I ignore them. I love being here.”

Farheena Ansari, a fashion designer, who mentors these women, says “We get orders from local boutiques.” Once her students learn something new, she tells them to use it and move ahead instead of idling at home.

Neha, 18, lost her father early; her mother keeps encouraging her to move on. She says earlier she enrolled in a beautician course at another NGO but was asked to pay ₹500 and never received proper training. “Coming to Sabaat restored my trust. They teach with care and I feel safe here.”

The center also focuses on soft skills like entrepreneurship, hygiene, financial literacy offering a holistic approach to empowerment and plan to expand computer courses. 

What makes Sabaat unique is its inclusivity. “We aren’t just providing livelihoods, We’re restoring dignity, reclaiming agency, and nurturing leadership,“ says Aasif Mujtaba, founder of Miles2Smile and Sabaat.