Self-help groups change women's lives, turning them into Lakhpati Didis

Akanksha Tamrekar, a self-help group member from Simrawari village of Jhansi who makes home decor items from old newspapers, said, "The name of my group is Nav Srijan Mahila Swayam Sahayta Samuh. My group is associated with the government's National Rural Livelihood Mission. In our group, we make home decor items from old newspapers. This includes paper dolls, lamps, baskets, garlands, etc. In this way, we make more than 100 products and we take our work ahead, and with this, we sell our products at the fairs provided by the government and wherever we are sent. We go there and sell our items at the fairs, and we also sell them online."

Akanksha Tamrekar received the Uttar Pradesh State Award from the Industries Department for making a nine-foot paper doll in 2019-20.

Talking about her passion for art and craft, Tamrekar said, "Since childhood, I had a passion for constantly creating something new. So, while sitting at home, we used to make things out of old newspapers. After I got married and came here, the women around me who saw my work said that I was doing a good job and expressed their desire to join me. Then we found out about the NRLM scheme here, which helps women advance in their livelihoods."

"When we joined NRLM, we learnt that 10 women could form a group, and through this, we received financial assistance, which helped us advance our work. The government also provided us with opportunities to participate in various fairs, including international trade fairs in Delhi. We showcased our products at all these places. Through this, I had the opportunity to meet the honourable Chief Minister twice and the Prime Minister once," she added.

"It's a matter of pride for women that earlier we couldn't step outside and only worked at home. Today, we have become so empowered that we are progressing along with our husbands and helping them run the household," Tamrekar added.

Speaking on how her family helped her in her journey, she said, "In my house, everyone generally supports me a lot, but when we started this new work, they didn't understand it at first. They would say that we were just creating a mess in the house. Once they saw the products, everyone in the house also started supporting us to move forward."

"Previously, we had to ask for money for everything, whether it was for running the house or other needs. Today, we have reached a point where if anyone in the house needs something, we are able to fulfil their needs as well," she added.

Another self-help group member who makes mats, Shakuntala Kushwaha, said, "I have been doing this work since 2015, and I go to every fair I can find. I also teach this to other women. There are 11 women in my group, and I teach them all the work."

"I learnt this work from someone else, so I faced some difficulties. My children would ask what I was doing at the age of 60. I would say that as long as I have the strength, I will keep going. Gradually, I gained more knowledge and started buying fabric from Gwalior, Kanpur, and so on, and my work kept progressing," Kushwaha added.

"Initially, I invested Rs 50,000, and now the government is very supportive as it provides CCL (Cash Credit Linkage) funds, which I use and then return, and I teach all the women. I give them Rs 150-200 per day and teach them everything," Kushwaha said.

"This scheme provides a benefit of about Rs 1 lakh. I started with an investment of Rs 25,000, and now I earn over Rs 1 lakh. I sell each mat for Rs 700-800 because it is heavy, and I make it using thread, twine, lace, and fabric," she further said.

"I receive a lot of help from the government. I am aware today, and I hope my sisters also become aware," she added.

Meera, another self-help group member who makes bari, papad and chips, expressed how the government scheme has helped them manage their livelihood.

"There are 12 women in my group. When I joined the group, I didn't know much or do much. When I joined, I realised that engaging in this employment could be beneficial. Initially, I had a small amount of money from my group, but then I invested Rs 15,000 from my revolving fund. My sisters from the group suggested that we use this money for some business," Meera said.

"The women in the village, who didn't know much about other things, found making Bari and papads easier. So, we started the papad business. We make and sell bari, papads, chips, and so on. We sell from home and also outside. We go to booths and fairs. If there is something in the market for Rs 20, we sell it for Rs 25 because our products are pure. We also keep our profit in mind during sales. This is how we have been managing our livelihood and working since 2015," Meera said.

"This has helped us a lot. For example, when we made 5 kilos of bari, we kept track of our accounts. After calculating, we divide the profits among ourselves. We have earned around Rs 50,000 so far. Earlier, our products didn't sell because we didn't have any stalls. Now, we have stalls; we've provided information to everyone, and people now come to our homes to buy our products," Meera further added.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi to felicitate Lakhpati Didi on August 25, 2024, in Maharashtra, Meera said, "We are very happy. Earlier, we didn't have this information. By joining the group, we are receiving so much respect, and it gives us great joy to be respected. It's not just about the money; we can earn that ourselves. The respect is what truly matters."

Another self-help group member named Deepa Majumdar, who makes bags, said, "I have been making bags for five years now, and I get the raw materials from Jhansi and sometimes need to go to Kanpur and even Delhi to get the fabric. After that, I make the bags and also teach the other women, as this work requires assistance. Five women are working with us, and I pay them Rs 150 each."

"In today's times of inflation, a single income is often not enough to run a family. So, I used to do this work a bit on the side. When I joined the group, I gained more knowledge about it and got a platform for it. We attend every fair organised by the government, and there is no expense for us; accommodations are provided," she said.

"This has been very beneficial for me. I have earned lakhs of rupees. There are a lot of sales. My bags sell even from home, and there are also significant sales at fairs," Deepa added.

Heera Devi, another self-help group member who makes purses, said, "I have been joined to this group since 2015. I make bags and purses. Many of our sisters work for it. Many people get benefits from this. Now we earn Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 yearly. Earlier we used to sit at home, but when we joined the group, we learnt a lot and now we make bags." (ANI)