Artisan Profile - Indra

Indra says her American dream "is to give my kids a good education.” In 1992, when she was only 9 years old, Indra and her parents fled Bhutan during the civil war. They were afraid of being arrested or killed, so they fled to Nepal and lived in a refugee camp. In 2014, Indra and her family came to St. Louis through the UN Refugee Program. Indra is Hindu and appreciates life in the U.S. because she feels she faces less discrimination here. But it has been difficult, too. When the family first arrived, they felt isolated. “In our country we saw our friends and neighbors everyday, but here we didn’t have that and the language makes it hard to get to know people”. Indra’s husband has a job now, and she makes money by sewing and making jewelry with Forai while taking care of her toddler daughter. Indra makes all of Forai's Hammered Brass Bangles and is also sewing masks for healthcare workers. She enjoys learning new skills, and has begun her own home sewing business. “Forai has been good for me,” she says with a smile.