Alternative livelihoods for 500 ragpicker families

A Small Shop, A Big Change: Titli’s Journey Towards Self-Reliance

For 45-year-old Titli, life has always meant making the most of very little. She lives with her husband in a small room in an illegal settlement near the canal side in Kolkata, where families live with limited space, insecure living conditions, and very few livelihood opportunities. Her husband frequently remains unwell and is unable to work regularly, making the family's income uncertain and household expenses difficult to manage.

For Titli, however, poverty did not take away her determination to build a better life. She wanted to contribute to her family’s income and create a livelihood that she could depend on. Through the livelihood programme of Tiljala SHED (TISHED), she received her first loan of 20,000 (approximately USD 230) from the organisation's revolving livelihood fund. With this modest amount, Titli started a small grocery shop next to her home.

The beginning was simple. Her shop stocked basic household necessities, and the initial earnings were modest. But for Titli, it was much more than a small shop — it was her first opportunity to earn through her own enterprise. The income helped her contribute towards household expenses and provided some financial stability at a time when her husband's health often prevented him from working.

Titli used the loan responsibly and, through her hard work and commitment, successfully repaid the entire amount. Her repayment opened the door to a second opportunity. She received another loan of 30,000 (approximately USD 345) from TISHED's revolving fund and used it to expand her business. She purchased a refrigerator and began selling cold drinks and ice cream along with regular grocery items. This small investment helped her attract more customers and strengthen the earning potential of her shop.

Once again, Titli successfully repaid the full loan. What began with a small 20,000 loan had gradually grown into a more stable and sustainable family livelihood. Today, Titli runs the grocery shop together with her husband. The business has become an important source of income for the family, especially during periods when her husband's health prevents him from earning.

But Titli's story represents something much bigger than her own success. The loans provided to women like Titli come from TISHED's revolving livelihood fund. When a woman repays her loan, the money does not simply return and stop there. It becomes available to support another woman in need of an opportunity to start or strengthen her livelihood. In this way, the same financial support can continue creating new opportunities, helping one woman after another move towards self-reliance.

Titli's journey shows how a relatively small amount of financial support, when combined with determination, guidance, and responsible use of credit, can create a lasting difference. The 20,000 that helped her start her shop and the subsequent 30,000 that helped her expand it have contributed to something far more valuable than a business — they have helped build confidence, dignity, independence, and greater financial security.

Today, the grocery shop stands as a symbol of Titli's perseverance. From living with financial uncertainty in a small canal side settlement to running a livelihood that contributes meaningfully to her household, she has shown what can happen when a woman is given an opportunity and the confidence to use it.