- Joined a self-help group and started a grocery store, earning a profit of 60,000 rupees from the business.
The Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission, “Bihan,” is leading rural women on the path to self-reliance by connecting them with self-employment. Through women’s self-help groups, regular savings, mutual assistance, and access to bank loans are providing women with new livelihood opportunities. The story of Mrs. Sunita Gupta of Korandha Gram Panchayat, Pratappur Block, Surajpur District, is an inspiring example of this change.
Meeting household needs with her family’s limited income was challenging for Mrs. Sunita. Desiring an additional source of income, she joined the Gayatri Self Help Group. Regular savings and support from members within the group provided her with the opportunity to begin self-employment. She secured a bank loan under the Bihan Yojana and opened a grocery store.
Mrs. Sunita’s hard work and efficient business management have helped the shop grow steadily. This has helped meet the family’s needs, and she has earned a profit of approximately 60,000 rupees so far. The income from the business has strengthened the family’s financial situation and boosted her confidence to expand the shop.
Mrs. Sunita Gupta explains that the assistance she received from Bihan gave her the opportunity to start her own business. Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister and the district administration, she says that government schemes are empowering rural women to move forward and become self-reliant.
This success of Sunita Gupta in the ‘Seva Ki Kahani’ series under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan shows that by joining self-help groups, women can not only increase the family income through their hard work and enterprise but can also move towards economic self-reliance.