Starting this week, we will chronicle in this page stories from Sharana. Each story featured will include a potential life changing intervention by Sharana. She was a woman, a widow, a mother abandoned by her son. These are the tough circumstances in which Jyoti’s life stood six years ago. When she approached Sharana to be a beneficiary of their micro-credit programme she was faced with yet another hiccup, this time from the other women beneficiaries who deemed it improper that a widow avail of the facility. That problem overcome Jyoti was given a loan with which she bought a milch cow. With the immediate income her life started to change. In a matter of five years and a few top up loans Jyoti had expanded her herd to 18 cows. All the milk was sold to the local cooperative and a few village households. Today she has built her own electrified cement house; she has a small herd of goats, a cow and a few fowl. She cherishes her independence and is proud not to be at the mercy of her children or anyone. Interestingly, Jyoti supports her younger son who works as a seasonable labourer with no steady income. She is very clear of the fact that she is a provider and happy to help but does not expect any reciprocation even from him.
#SharanasDiary