“Just after completion of 12th Standard, I became the life partner of Kshirod Chandra Mohanta of Sialijoda village in Saharapada block in the year 2002. With a bunch of dreams, I entered to my in-law’s house. With a small income of my husband & father-in-law we tried to manage the family. But, the increased family members from four to seven within 6 years worsened our family condition. When I blessed with two daughters, the family, especially mother-in-law demanded a male child. But, the God’s wish was something different! When I gave birth another girl child, it was too difficult on my part to tolerate the regular tortures of my mother-in-law. But, after getting capacity building training, being a SHG member, the whole situation changed in my life,” shared Ranaji Mohant, a 35-year woman.

Managing a 7-membered family with the meagre income was quite difficult. There was no alternative source of income except the backyard farming. In the year 2011, with the initiative of CYSD’s Child Development Project, in Sialijoda village a Self-Help Group, namely ‘Om Shanti’ was formed consisting of 12 women and Rajani was fortunate to become a member of the group. From very beginning Rajani was a sincere member of the group. Due to her educational back ground, she was liked by all the members. Her active and regular participation in all the meetings of SHG helped her to improve the knowledge base.

With the Group’s recommendation, Rajani could get an opportunity to participate in a training-cum-exposure programme on Saving and Credit with Entrepreneurship Development organized by CYSD at its Rural Livelihood Training Centre (RLTC), Kapundi. The exposure trip enthused her to become an independent entrepreneur and to supplement her family’s regular income.

Where there is a will there is a way.  Coming out of the four-walls and observing the local market demand, Rajani made up her mind to initiate duck rearing at her courtyard.  Initially, taking a loan of Rs. 5000/- from the SHG, she started the enterprise. Mere duck rearing could not satisfy her, she   added poultry farming near the house with 500 chicks getting a long of Rs. 20,000 from the SHG. Within two years of time, the strength of poultry farm increased to 2000 birds in every 40 days. Now, she earns a monthly income of Rs.6000. Besides, earning a suitable income, she has established a sense of dignity in her community and in the locality too. 

Rajani’s hard struggle for existence has come to an end. She has been supplementing to her husband’s income to a great extent. Her sincere effort made the poultry farm a stable one of worth 2 lakhs rupees. With the profit amount, she has built up a pucca shed for chick rearing with cost of about Rs. 5.0 lakh and has dug a small pond of 30 cent of land for duck rearing. Besides, she has developed a horticulture garden, exclusively cashew plantation in 2 acres of land from which she fetches Rs. 80,000 annually.

Life and livelihood of Ranjani’s family has got changed. For better movement and marketing, she has purchased a new motor cycle for her husband. Her entire family members are covered under Life Insurance. She is having a fixed deposit of 1,50,000/- to meet the emergency requirements of the family. She has given utmost importance to education and enrolled her elder daughter (Kusumanjali) in Adarsha Vidyalaya run by the Govt. of Odisha and two younger daughters (Kunjan and Srutirekha) in Saraswati Shishu Bidya Mandir for which she spends around 8000/- per month.

Rajani is now a busy entrepreneur. She uses her time very judiciously for the growth of her family & village consisting of 175 households. Her husband too provides support in each step of her business. Being the Secretary of SHG, she attends SHG meetings regularly and documents the proceeding, updates cash book and ledger and actively takes part in decision making.

According to Rajani, “SHG is formed not to give and take loan only, it is the right platform for empowering women. There is no need of going outside in search of a job. One can be able manage her family with one-acre of land, if taken care of appropriately”. Rajani enlightens the group members about the issues of the village. Once it was impossible for women to participate in the male dominated meetings of a tribal society but Rajani has broken this cycle of superstitious believe. She believes that men and women are two sides of the same coin. Without the involvement of women, the village problems cannot be resolved. She could make the people aware through this SHG platform. She encouraged them to do vegetable cultivation, plantation in upland, initiate entrepreneurship activities as per their capacity and most importantly to give education to their children, etc. Besides, she gives more emphasis on regular habit of savings, timely repayment of loans and active participation in various trainings. Her role during this Covid-19 pandemic in terms joining hands with CYSD and organizing campaigns on hand wash practice, wearing facemask and keeping the community environment clean are really praiseworthy.

Her hard work, self-confidence and efficiency have made her work easy. She has become a role model for others. Presently 20 landless women adopted her path & started their individual ventures to supplement their family’s income. They feel very proud being self-dependent. Living in a male dominated society, the women SHG members of Sialikoda village are getting enough co-operation from their male counter parts which is definitely a boon for them.

“The capacity building training imparted by CYSD has brought transformation my life from a mere homemaker to a successful entrepreneur. I have been able to build my confidence level to interact with Bankers and other dignitaries. More importantly, I have given right education to my children. I am quite happy that my elder daughter has successfully completed her High School Certification Examination securing 72% marks this year. I am praised by my mother-in-law the most now-a-days”, Rajani acknowledges proudly.