Alternative livelihoods for 500 ragpicker families

Each time I visit Kolkata I make a point of visiting as many of the beneficiaries of this project as I can. Mainly because these women’s stories are so uplifting. Read here how a small micro loan of just £200 empowers a woman to lift herself out of poverty.

"Usha’s husband died just few years after her marriage. She has 2 sons. They were very small when her husband passed away.
 After her husband passed away she faced struggle and hardship and ultimately, she became a maidservant and it was just contributing Rs.1500-2000 per month to her family. This small income was not enough. Usha always wanted to do something big which she had in her mind. But time was not with her and she faced many hurdles. She became a part of the CIG and eventually she got a loan of Rs.20,000/ to start her saree business. She is selling sarees door to door and also gets her customer at her doorstep. She lives in a small hut at Topsia canal side and the condition of the house is ramshackle. With her sincere effort, the saree business was booming, and her sales were touching skies. She repaid the loan in 6 months which had a time period of 10 months. She has bigger plans for her expansion. She applied for loan again and after discussion with the CIGs she again got a loan but this time Rs.30, 000/. She is the first beneficiary to get a Rs.30, 000/ loan and she is repaying fast without any delay.
After her husband passed away she faced struggle and hardship and ultimately, she became a maidservant and it was just contributing Rs.1500-2000 per month to her family. This small income was not enough. Usha always wanted to do something big which she had in her mind. But time was not with her and she faced many hurdles. She became a part of the CIG and eventually she got a loan of Rs.20,000/ to start her saree business. She is selling sarees door to door and also gets her customer at her doorstep. She lives in a small hut at Topsia canal side and the condition of the house is ramshackle. With her sincere effort, the saree business was booming, and her sales were touching skies. She repaid the loan in 6 months which had a time period of 10 months. She has bigger plans for her expansion. She applied for loan again and after discussion with the CIGs she again got a loan but this time Rs.30, 000/. She is the first beneficiary to get a Rs.30, 000/ loan and she is repaying fast without any delay.
 
With her income she is planning to shift from her kacha kouse (temporary makeshift) to pucca (permanent structure) house in the slum which is an indication of her stable income. She is famous in the area and people call her "sareewali" - the sari seller. Usha is trying her best to transform her life. She is one of many who inspire us in our daily life.”

Almost 400 women have now benefited from this fantastic project. We desperately need new funds so we can continue to provide loans and ultimately make this project entirely self sustaining.