A week long professional tailoring programme by USHA Silai in 2010 was a turning point in Metilda Mary's life. USHA had given her a machine, following which, she set up a centre in the front yard of her house and trained women for 500 rupees a month. Her quality of work and training became a superhit among women from her village in Tamil Nadu and the neighborhood flocked to her to get their dresses made or to learn sewing from her.