'We have a status in our society' Our partner, Flowering Desert, is based in a rural community in South India. They employ local people, predominantly women, in an area where there are limited means of earning a regular income. The textiles training and employment opportunities at Flowering Desert offer a way for the women to increase their skills and future work possibilities, and brings them a status in their society, often for the first time. We are seeing communities flourish as more women are equipped to make choices and improve the quality of life for themselves and the future generations. 'VIA has shown me the way through' Through training and a start-up business grant from VIA Design, Sheela has significantly developed her design and embroidery skills, and increased her self-assurance. She develops samples for VIA’s emerging product ranges and is starting to build up her own small business. As a single mother, Sheela works to support herself and her two teenage children. Amulu is a skilled and ambitious designer. VIA sponsored her Production Management course and facilitated a work placement supervising quality control for VIA’s first major export order and developing new product ideas. She dreams of having her own women’s tailoring business in the future.