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Minaxi Mahedia

Minaxi Mahedia

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About Me

I was born into the Untouchable Caste in Mansa, a small Indian town where my family faced segregation from the rest of the community. Despite our circumstances, I was fortunate to have an educated mother, a rarity among women in our situation. She even taught other women, who would typically be relegated to unpleasant tasks such as handling dead livestock, to become teachers. My mother held high aspirations for me, but tragedy struck when I was just eight years old. She passed away in a bus fire accident, leaving my father, who had lost his vision a few years prior, unable to care for our family. At a young age, I took on the responsibility of caring for my three younger brothers and learned to cook in order to survive.

At 17, I married a man I had never met before. Sadly, when I became pregnant at 18, we were kicked out of my in-laws' house, and my stepmother refused to let us stay with her. With limited resources, we struggled to provide adequate clothing for my daughter, and I wished I knew how to sew.

Over the course of 30 years, I honed my sewing skills by creating basic garments for my two daughters, as well as occasionally designing outfits for friends and family members. From dance competitions to beauty pageants, I always ensured that my daughters looked their best. Despite my passion for fashion design, I was unable to enroll in any formal training programs due to my age. However, my son gifted me a laptop which opened a world of possibilities for me. By watching countless YouTube tutorials, I was able to acquire a wealth of knowledge and improve my skills significantly.

Inspired by my own learning journey, I decided to start a small class to teach women from disadvantaged backgrounds how to sew. Over the years, I have taught about 300 women, and I am proud to say that almost half of them have been able to turn their new skills into a sustainable income source.

After relocating to the United States 6 months ago to live with my daughter, I started frequenting the Brooklyn Public Library, drawn in with my love for fashion books. It was there that I discovered BFA posters, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity they provided me to develop myself despite lacking formal education and fluency in English. My design collection is a testament to a woman's resilience in the face of hardship, showcasing my determination to challenge societal norms and cultivate a strong sense of identity. My ultimate goal in life is to magnify my impact by a hundred-fold. I am 62 now, having already empowered 300+ women, I now aspire to empower 30,000 individuals.