Alternative livelihoods for 500 ragpicker families

Sajida, 48, a resident of the Topsia Canal side settlements (sewage- the city waste water flows beside the settlement) has set up a small general store inside the community. Her daughter Sonam is a student of Class 12 and will be completing her school finals next year. Sajida, has a gastric ulcer problem but despite that she is a determined lady. Her husband is very sick and has multiple health issues and cannot work. A sum of money also goes for the treatment of her husband every month.

She took a business grant of Rs.30,000 (US$ 375) from the organisation to set up her business. During the lockdown the business suffered badly. She felt the heat and thought that all the capital seed money will go away including the savings in the lockdown to cover the basic expenses of her family, but Tiljala SHED came to the rescue and extended full support through their multi interventions and ensured the family capital seed money is not spent.

Now, after the lockdown and Covid, the shop is doing quite well. She now earns a small amount of Rs.350 (US$ 4.375)- Rs.400 (US $ 5) on a daily basis from her shop. Her daughter Sonam is a first-generation learner and will be the first one to complete the school and enter into College. Sajida is very happy to see a first female learner in her family. She is a strong advocate for girls education. With Tiljala SHED grant, she was able to start her own venture. She expects to increase the revenue by increasing more number of items in her shop. The sales go up during many festivals and on weekends. 

This unique program has supported many womenpreneurs and have given them financial freedom. It all happened with the funds raised through GlobalGiving. It is unthinkable that several women staying in this narrow stretch beside the sewage is on a mission to become independent and many are already leading the way with their inspired stories. These women are the real life heroes and it is bringing a change in these communities.

Thank you....to all those who belived in our mission. Please help us to transform more such lives and make a difference in these local communities which were once famous for criminal activities and now getting the spotlight with insipiring stories like Sajida. The community is now changing and the crime graph has drastically came down which shows that more education and livelihood opportunities will bring the crime graph down. 

Rubi, 35, is a resident of Mir Meher Ali Lane.

She was married to Dinesh, now deceased. Her husband used to work as a daily labor and was addicted to drugs. It was a difficiult phase in her life. Her husband contributed very little towards household expenses.

They have three children- One son and two daughters. Both the daughters are attending school.
Rubi took a loan of Rs.20,000 (US$ 250) from our livelihood project and set up a small grocers shop in one part of her house. She paid back this loan amount in full. She again took another loan of Rs.30,000 (US$ 375) to expand her business. Around this time her husband fell sick and was unable to work. His condition worsened as days passed and she had to spend a substantial sum of money for his treatment.

Despite her best efforts she could not save her husband. Her monetary condition deteriorated, and it was very difficult to manage at that time. At one point of time, Rubi had even worked as a maid servant to support the family. Tiljala SHED supported her family through this difficult time. With time she gathered courage and now she is back in business. She is rising against all odds and doing well in her business.

At present Rubi is somewhat better. Over the years she has managed to restock her shop and her income has increased. She has to take care of her children.Tiljala SHED supported her in difficult times, and it has really helped her to overcome difficulties in her businesses. 

She is a true women entrerpreneur. Our thanks to all the donors for their support