Determination and Mentorship Change Lives
In Southern India, Iswarya grows her business and gives hope to many women in her community.
Iswarya, a member of the Dalit Arunthathiyar community in Tamil Nadu, India, lives with her parents and older siblings in a small hut with a thatched roof. All the children were able to go to high school, but only the elder son was able to go on to college, due to costs.
“Being a girl, there was little opportunity for me to work outside the home. But I was determined to find a way to help support my family. This led me to join a women’s group in my village that was involved in income-generating activities. Mrs. Nandini of the Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP) guided me to start small savings in the group, so that I could qualify for loan assistance. Later, ICDP approved my request and gave me a loan of Rs. 10, 000 ($120) to start a business. I chose to sell vegetables, as there were no vegetable stalls in our village and families had to go to nearby villages to shop.” ICDP is a RSWR project partner, responsible for managing the women’s revolving loan fund.
“I started the vegetable shop and grew in confidence every day, when I saw that my earnings were increasing. Soon, my family was able to attend to basic needs, including my elder brother’s tuition for engineering studies. I am happy that my new venture led me to support my family needs and my brother’s college studies, too.
“Though I am young, many community members look at me with admiration and talk to me with great respect. This is giving me great joy. My elder sister has joined me in running the shop. I pay her wages for the day from the sales. I give the profit to my mother to look after the family needs. I realize that this project is giving hope to many girls and women who are struggling in difficult situations in their lives.”