By Atul Lekhra | Manager- Resource Mobilization
Dear Friend,
Hemlata is 19 years old. She lives in Tasol village in Udaipur district, in one of the poorest regions in India. Whilst it is not legal to be married before the age of 18, as is sadly still the tradition in these areas, she was married in her mid-teens before finishing her education. But Hemlata is a strong and motivated girl and managed to complete school after she was married.
Later she came to hear about Seva Mandir’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Hemlata was interested enough to attend meetings regularly.
She also took part in Sadhna, which is an enterprise jointly owned by 700 women artisans who produce high-quality clothing and soft furnishings. This initiative empowers women, providing them with a secure livelihood and a stronger voice at home and in the community.
Soon after completing her training, Hemlata was also producing beautiful hand needlework on Sadhna’s clothes.
Later, she heard that Seva Mandir was recruiting women as para-workers (field workers) to carry out work on the SHGs project. She was accepted and started as a para-worker in her village area. Now, Hemlata conducts meetings on her own and this recent boost in her self-confidence is helping her to take a leading role in her village. Her work productivity has increased and she is extremely motivated by her responsibilities in the future.
Initially, she faced many challenges. She had never been outside her home to work or gone to the fields alone to gather the villagers to go to meetings. She gained more confidence and even travelled to her parents-in-law’s house on her own, where traditionally she would have had to have been accompanied by a male family member.
The house that, she lived in consisted of just one room and it was difficult to have relatives to visit. But recently she has finished making her house larger with the help of the honorarium received from Seva Mandir.
In her words, “I was never so happy and confident in my life before. I am helping my husband in the construction of my house, all thanks to Seva Mandir. In the future, I will also be able to take out a loan from the Self-Help Group to do more construction work on my house. Our economic situation doesn’t allow us to take a loan from the bank at their high rates of interest.”
This is just one of the examples of how the SHGs help women during their time of need. Without your support none of this would be possible, so a heartfelt thank you goes out to you for supporting our efforts in empowering women. Helping women run well governed and self-governed- Self-Help Groups also develops solidarity, governance and management capacities among women.
I am also happy to share with you that we are participating in GlobalGiving’s 2019 Girl Fund Campaign. Vote with your donation today! The top four projects with the most unique donors at the end of the campaign will earn a spot in the Girl Fund for the next full year and will help select two additional winners.
Thank you so much.
Warm wishes,
Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team
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