Kanaklata got married when she was only 17 years old. Due to financial constraints, her father stopped her from pursuing her education and got her married to a shopkeeper. After having two children to look after, she wanted to contribute to the family’s earnings.

Learning about the courses in Literacy India she visited one of the centres at Raghunathpur and applied for the embroidery course. In the six months of training she developed her stitching skills and is one of the best artisans at Indha. She bought school bags for her children with her first earning. Kanaklata earns nearly Rs 1,500-2,000 every month and is happy to help her husband.