Help Rural Women Gain Essential Business Skills

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

Amita , with 15 years of education, lives in rural Maharashtra where her determination has overcome cultural biases against pig farming. Alongside her husband, she transformed a stigmatized trade into a profitable family business using modern techniques.

Her journey started with training in Dhundalwadi, igniting her passion for growth. Eager to innovate her existing pig farming, she joined the Mann Deshi Udyojika workshop. Neighbors initially shunned them, avoiding visits or shared meals, dismissing pigs as unclean and unworthy work.

Undeterred, the couple took advanced training, receiving two American Yorkshire pigs. Villagers mocked the venture, but they persisted. From those two, their high-demand herd grew to 32, prized internationally for pork quality.

They manage specialized care, including Vestige feed, with each pig valued at 25,000–30,000 by weight. In two months, they earned 1 lakh; recently, five 100-kg pigs sold—three in Dahanu, two to Goa—netting 2 lakh. Pigs transport to Vasai for global markets.

Marketing hurdles faded as profits shifted community views. They borrowed 5 lakh from their savings group, employ three workers, and now build a new shed, targeting 100 pigs in a year with a detailed work plan, quotations, and outlets.

Mann Deshi has helped her procure an Udyam Aadhaar card and Shop Act license. With all her documents in place, she was able to get a grant of 1,40,000 from UMED.

Low investment drives high returns; Amita envisions crores in profits within 1–2 years, proving positivity reshapes business and life.