Jivaben was born in Dhaneti, the only sister of two brothers. Her father died when she was 1½. Her mother died when she was 7. After that, her father’s sister brought her up. Her childhood was sheep and goats, she says. She traveled all of Kutch, migrating with the herds, and came home in the monsoon. She has also seen Dwarka and Dhudrej but has not gone outside Gujarat. At age 22, Jivaben married, and continued to migrate near her in-laws’ village Lodai. She has two sons, two daughters, and fifteen grandchildren. Jivaben stopped migrating twenty years ago once her sons were settled. Her husband was injured in the earthquake, and died nine years ago. Today, she lives with her younger son, who is a driver. Her daughter is married in Bhadroi and embroiders with Kala Raksha. Jivaben has embroidered since childhood. She learned by god and did good traditional work, but she sold it all after the elders banned hand embroidery for home use in 1995.

After that she did work for sale, whatever came to the village, until Kala Raksha came two years ago. Today she works with Kala Raksha. “If your heart is open you will learn, I am already learning something day by day!”

Jivaben continued to create after her graduation.  And she sent her daughter-in-law to participate in the KRV class of 2011. She was an exceptional design intern for two terms.