- Mushroom production and dairy farming have increased the income of the women in the group.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s 25 years of public service have focused on advancing the spirit of self-reliant India and women’s empowerment, empowering the poor, rural women, and women, and integrating them into the mainstream of development. By joining the Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan), rural women in Mahasamund district are today moving towards self-reliance through self-employment and income-generating activities.
The success of Mrs. Savitri Patel of Palsabhadi, a dependent village of Gram Panchayat Khogsa in Basna development block, Mahasamund district, is a story of this transformation. On April 17, 2018, 14 women formed the Bhavani Mahila Self Help Group in Palsabhadi, Basna. All the women in the group belonged to below-poverty families and were homemakers. During the CRP cycle organized under the Bihan scheme, CRP sisters informed the women about self-help group formation, savings, loan facilities, and benefits from various departmental schemes. Inspired by this, the women united and formed a self-help group and began their journey towards self-reliance.
After forming the group, Mrs. Savitri Patel decided to start mushroom production to increase her personal income. She had ample space at home for the business, but a lack of initial capital prevented her from expanding it on a large scale. After joining the Bihan Yojana, the group received RF and CIF funds and financial support from bank linkages, giving Savitri’s dreams a new lease of life. Along with mushroom production, she also incorporated cow rearing and milk production as part of her livelihood.
These activities have positively transformed Savitri Patel’s family’s financial situation. Mrs. Savitri explains that before joining the group, her family’s annual income was approximately 85,000 rupees, which has increased to approximately 238,000 rupees annually after adopting various livelihood activities. The funds received from the village organization are also being repaid prematurely with interest. Savitri explains that after joining the self-help group, she has gained financial strength and has also increased her confidence in becoming self-reliant. She explains that now, she finds it easier than before to meet family needs, including health, her children’s higher education, and other needs.