UTTARAKHAND, INDIA – With approximately 70 percent of the population living in villages, rural women play an essential role in supporting India’s economy in more ways than what appears on the surface. They are often overlooked and still lack the consistent support to help them get out of poverty. Self-Help Groups focuses mostly on rural women because they are disproportionately disadvantaged among the poor. Because of these groups, the women now have an opportunity to empower each other through support, education, encouragement and financial assistance to achieve their personal and professional goals for a better future.
Scrounging for basics
Meet Deepa Devi, a 32-year-old village woman is from a rural town in Uttarakhand. Despite ample limitations, she learnt how to provide for her family with the help of a Self-Help Group that is part of Operation Blessing India’s Micro-Enterprise and Livelihood project where she has been an active member for the past four years. She has been trained on book-keeping, organizing regular meetings, and maintaining the monthly contributions in the group. Her family struggled to make use of a two-acre agriculture land that did not yield enough to even feed their six members. Watching her family struggle for years, Deepa knew that she was their only hope. She wanted to make a change.
Reaping the fruits
Deepa took a loan from the self-help group as she needed the money to buy two buffaloes and two goats, and also received in-depth training in dairy farming. Within the first three months, she strategically managed to save money from her start-up of selling milk, enabling her to repay the loan as well as provide for the family. She further expanded her skills by learning about vermicomposting from the self-help group. This has enabled her to start organic farming, an initiative of Operation Blessing’s ME&L projects to promote environment friendly farming practices. “I am grateful to the field coordinators for the trainings I received under the Operation Blessing’s ME&L projects”, says Deepa. Her story finds echoes in the lives of millions of women who are part of self-help groups in Rural India. Incredible partners like YOU made it possible for Deepa Devi to lead the way, bring a change for herself and her family, and be an inspiration to her community.
