Much of who I am today was shaped by a childhood spent wondering whether I was ever enough.
I was the skinny, tomboyish girl whose hair was never long enough to “look like a girl.” Mathematics did not come easily, and I felt the rejection of teachers and classmates. Growing older brought new measures of inadequacy: studying from Gujarati medium school, my fluency in English was not good enough; in bigger cities, I was too small-town; overseas, not white enough, polished enough or posh enough.
Not this enough. Not that enough.
For years I wondered: what would it take to finally be enough?
I have since come to understand how profoundly encouragement or the absence of it, shapes a life.
Art, design and fashion had always lived within me. Yet even those who wished me well often imagined a future different from the one quietly trying to blossom inside me.
Today, that little girl remains at the heart of my work with women and artisan communities across Gujarat.
Through Halar Welfare Trust and Jamnagar by Ektaba Sodha, I hope to offer what so many of us seek: a voice, opportunity, courage and the freedom to discover our own potential.
I believe art and craft can do more than preserve heritage. They can create dignity, independence and meaningful change.
Perhaps a better world begins not by asking people to prove they are enough, but by telling them:
I see what is within you. Let us help it blossom.
If we judge a little less, encourage a little more and make room for individuality, we can build stronger communities and more fulfilled lives.
That is the world I hope our work can help create.
Ektaba Sodha
Founder, Jamnagar by Ektaba Sodha