Empower deserted women and widows in rural India

RISING FROM ZERO  

20 women come together and start a business of providing utensils for events like weddings, festivals, birthdays etc. Good profit. They buy more utensils. Things start looking up as people came regularly to them and take materials on hire.

As profit goes up a suspicious mind steps in.

Where is all the money going ? Is it only this much profit ?

The leader of the group, Triveni whose efforts got the business up and running faced charges of corruption. Things come to such a head that staff from Chetana-Vikas and other villagers had to be roped in to clear the accounts and also explain it to people who even actually had no hand in the business. They were mostly jealous men-folk of the village who could not digest the fact of the women running a successful enterprise. Now, with the group broken, the utensils distributed, the money Nil. there is only one woman who helps Triveni in the trade.

Triveni had a streak of advicing people and exhort them to shun wrong doing. She asked the youth of the village to stop gambling and join productive work. Stung by her attitude, they took advantage of her reputation and again blamed her for stealing their gambled money.

Undeterred by this experience, in fact wisened by it Triveni, a widow of 58 years decided to strike it on her own.  By this time Triveni had realized that her being a single woman and that too going about the village as a pioneer woman was challenging the established social norms for a widow.

To improve her financial condition, she took up small business of selling turmeric powder in nearby villages, getting a profit of Rs.50/kg (US $ 0.74 / kg) of powder.

With the meager profit, she again applied for a loan of Rs.10,000/- (US $ 148) and established a flour mill in the village. To run a mill, traditionally run by men was again a thorn in the eye of the men-folk. However, by now Triveni had established credentials with other women folk of the village. They came to her and supported her. This experience then encouraged her to run a small business of selling stationary and jewelry to the women, which is running well.

With her never say die attitude; Triveni still feels she can do a lot for the community. Like when, she exhorted other women to contribute their labour for  a  road's construction. Their village had no approach road. The road was then also sanctioned by the village governing body.

Friends, Triveni rose from zero to again reap profit.

It was a profit of not only money, but also of a learning lesson and skills to handle difficult situations.

This was essentially possible  from the support you provided. The going is tough for these women and they are entirely alone in society.

We stand with them.

We thank you for making this possible. It is year end. Have you directed your friends and relatives to his page ?  

<http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/empower-deserted-women-and-widows-in-rural-india/,>.

<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chetana-Vikas/162861643736214.>

So that they share their happiness and joy in as may new ways as possible.

Like for and with women like Triveni.

We will continue bringing stories of women who rise to fulfill their dreams. We will meet next year. Thanks once again.

WISHING A VERY HAPPY 2017 TO YOU !

Niranjana

Project Leader