- Starting a grocery and cosmetics business with a loan of 1 lakh rupees has now become a foundation for self-reliance for the women in the group.
Once dependent on limited means for a living, Mrs. Harmania Devi Rajwade, a resident of Mendrakala Gram Panchayat in Surguja district, has now forged a new path to self-reliance through her skills and hard work. A loan of one lakh rupees from the Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh provided her Aakanksha Self-Help Group with the opportunity for self-employment. A grocery and cosmetics shop, started with this financial support, is now a source of regular income for the women in the group.
Mrs. Harmania Devi, President of the Aakanksha Self-Help Group, explains that the women in the group were faced with the challenge of starting a livelihood activity that would generate a regular income. During this time, she learned about loans available from the Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh through an Anganwadi worker. She discussed the matter with the women in the group, applied, and after the loan was approved, decided to start a business with the funds.
- Small capital became the beginning of big change
With a loan of one lakh rupees, the group opened a grocery and cosmetics store, catering to the needs of the rural area. With daily necessities and cosmetics available in one place, the store gradually began to receive a good response from customers.
Mrs. Harmania Devi says the loan amount not only provided the capital to start the shop, but also gave the women in the group the confidence to stand on their own feet. Today, the women are jointly running the shop and earning an income through their hard work.
- As income increased, family happiness also increased.
The income generated from livelihood activities is now having a visible impact on the families of the women in the group. The improved income has made it easier to meet children’s education, household needs, and daily expenses.
Mrs. Harmania Devi explains that previously, financial needs were often difficult to meet, but now, having a regular source of income is making it easier to meet the family’s needs. The business has also strengthened the self-confidence and decision-making abilities of the women in the group.
- Women’s Fund becomes a support for self-reliance
For Mrs. Harmania Devi, the loan from the Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh is not just financial assistance, but an opportunity for progress. Through collective decision-making and mutual cooperation, the women in the group utilized the loan amount and turned it into a means of livelihood. She says, “The shop, which was started with a loan of Rs. 1 lakh, is now the basis of our group’s livelihood. This has given us the confidence to better support our families with a regular income.”
Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai and Women and Child Development Minister Smt. Laxmi Rajwade, Smt. Harmania Devi said that the schemes linking women self-help groups with economic activities are becoming a strong foundation for change in the lives of rural women.