KHATIMA, UTTARAKHAND – Meet Chandrakalan Devi, a 46-year-old woman who lives with her husband and son. They were dependent on her husband’s meagre income. However, when he lost his job during the pandemic, the whole family was in despair. It was a daily struggle to put food on the table. With no money coming in, Chandrakalan’s burden to take care of her family only got heavier. She then joined a Self-Help group in her village which was formed by the efforts of Operation Blessing to strengthened and empower women in the rural areas of Uttarakhand. She was introduced to monthly saving schemes and inter-loaning process. Today, Chandrakalan is an active member of the Self-Help Group.
A RAY OF HOPE IN THE MIDST OF DESPAIR
The Self-Help Group gave a ray of hope in Chandrakalan’s life. Through the inter-loaning process, she was able to take a small loan to buy a cow and was able earn a regular income by selling the cow’s milk in the neighbourhood. It was not long before she was able to afford another cow and a goat in addition to earning enough to provide for her family. Even though she was able to generate income from her livestock, Chandrakalan was concerned about her husband who still couldn’t find steady work. She brought her concern to the Self-Help Group and they agreed to help as well. Chandrakalan’s husband was able to take a loan to buy a 3-wheeler vehicle to start a taxi service thus strengthening their family’s finance even more. Not just that, she also learnt about the importance and benefits of organic farming through regular awareness sessions conducted by the Self-Help Group. She prepares manure for her kitchen garden using the vermicompost pit that was constructed with the help of the group.
Generous partners like YOU have empowered Chandrakalan and opened doors to better opportunities for her family. Your timely help makes it possible to equip a struggling family with the training and skills needed to have a stable income and to have a future.
Chandrakalan says, “I am happy to be part of the Self-Help Group and I will always be grateful to the Operation Blessing team and would like to thank them for their support and guidance”.
