Livelihood

RESTRICT A WOMAN’S GROWTH AND YOU SHALL RESTRICT A FAMILY’S GROWTH

Savita Devi teaching the art of Sewing to her students.

Savita Devi is the wife of Munna Ram and she is from Village Khadagsipur, Kusela Tehsil, Block Kerakat, Jaunpur. Savita is 35 years old and her family consists of three children. In addition to Savita Devi, she has two sons, Sujit Kumar, who is 15 years old and currently taking the 10th board exam. She also has Ajit Kumar, who is 12 years old and currently in 8th grade. Savita also has a daughter whose name is Diya and she is 18 years old and will be appearing for the 12th board examinations in 2022. Her husband works in the village as a farmer.

The life and financial condition of Savita Devi before joining the group were absolutely horrifying. She could only feed herself and her children. Previously, Savita did not have any means to earn money so that she could provide her children with a proper education, appropriate clothes and healthy food. Since Savita and her husband did farming work together, they worked with the landlords in the village. They used to go there and get the clothes the children wore from the landlord’s house, and the same clothing Savita used to wear to her children. Additionally, she would cook food for a meeting for the children and would bring it to her house in the evening. Originally, this was the condition of Savita Devi before joining the group.

With Jan Vikas Samiti’s help, women self-help groups were formed in 26 Panchayats in Kerakat Block by organizing workers, assisting in rescuing women in every Panchayat and strengthening those groups financially. Providing members with training and employment opportunities so they can develop their skill, labor and knowledge. A worker selected by Jan Vikas Samiti visited Khadagsipur Panchayat, seating 10 or 12 members at one place in the Gram Sabha, to learn about the savings of the self-help group and all the employment related to it. As a result, all the women joined together and formed a group named Sita. In January 2021, the group was formed and Savita Devi was appointed secretary of the group. The sewing training in Block Office Kerakat, for which Savita already had some experience, lasted for 3 months in January. For 3 months, Savita reported to the block office for training in leggings, kurta, palazzo, and lowers. After taking training, Savita Devi first started sewing and selling leggings, kurtas, palazzos, lowers along with sewing of village clothes, blouses, petticoats etc. at her home. In 2021, Savita Devi opened a sewing center at her own home and today Savita Devi has a total of 5 machines and 10 to 15 girls come to the centre daily to learn sewing.

Savita Devi’s financial condition has improved so much today that she has stopped working with others. She is now teaching her children in a top-rated nursery school, earlier they were studying in a Hindi medium school. Moreover, she is paying her monthly sewing and center fees. After deducting all expenses, between 3500 and 5000 are saved every month.

 “WHEN YOU HELP A WOMAN FULFIL HER POTENTIAL, MAGIC HAPPENS.”

Tara Devi – An Inspiration to all the women out there

This is the story of 32-year-old Tara Devi a mother of 3 from Deduwana village panchayat of Kerakat block in Jaunpur. Tara Devi and husband Vinod live in a nuclear family trying hard each day to make the ends meet. Vinod used to work at a weighbridge outlet whereas Tara used to look after family’s farming activities which barely fed them all. Tara was not really happy with this state of affairs as both were unable to fulfill family’s days to day needs especially children’s education. That is when she decided to change this scenario,

Tara came in contact with team Jan Vikas Samiti in April, 2019 when a livelihood project was started in the area. She joined a women’s Self Help Group (SHG) named ‘Baba Bheem Rao Ambedkar Group’ and started doing savings of INR 100 every month. Tara was literate and quite active in routine day to day affairs hence all other members agreed to make her the ‘Secretary of the group.

One day senior team members from the organization visited the village and conveyed everyone that a Washing Powder manufacturing training would be offered soon to SHG members of the area. Tara was excited to learn about the same and registered herself for the training. Attending the 3 day training of Manufacturing and Marketing of Washing Powder Tara became self-reliant of making and promoting self-made product which is a requirement of each and every household. She even bough 3-4 goats which became an additional source of income for her family. After a few days, a proposal for establishing Ration Control Shop in the village came up to Tara’s SHG. A meeting was held and all members were asked to nominate someone for putting up this shop. Seeing Tara’s pro-activeness and sense of responsibility members unanimously agreed to support Tara Devi for establishing this Control Shop. Local residents too agreed with the group and recommended Tara’s name for the same.

Today, Tara runs the Control Shop alongside participating in day to day SHG meetings and activities. She still works with other women of her group to manufacture washing powder which is marketed by women members in nearby villages and markets. These activities have finally helped Tara support her family, especially studies of her children, which would had been uncertain if she would not had stepped forward to change her fate.