INSPIRING STORIES OF PERSEVERANCE
We work with an altogether remarkable group of people - salt of the earth, grassroots, humble types - who’d give you their last grain of rice of you happened to walk by. They are the unstoppable - those who have stared life’s struggles in the face, weathered the storm and... triumphed!
Here are their remarkable stories ...
A League of Their Own
No Risk, No Reward
Venuben Murdwar, Kodinar
How a simple housewife took a 20 lakh loan to build a fishing boat and follow a dream… and then hauled in the valuable Gole Fish, earning 70 lakh in just one fishing expedition!
READ MORE
Child Labour to Milk Magnate
Kush Sardar, Kendua, Farakka
At just 10 years of age, Kush Saddar commenced work on a dairy farm – learning everything there was to know about the business. After his boss gifted him one milking cow, he rose up, and developing a profitable milk supply chain in his local area.
READ MORE
House Wife Trains Farmers
Vimalbai Kodape, Dhanakdevi, Chandrapur
Once stopped from stepping out of the house, today Vimalbai is an Agri Extension Worker who trains farmers on how to make farming more profitable.
READ MORE
Tribal Woman Becomes Police Patil
Letu Bai, Dhanakdevi Village, Chandrapur
A simple housewife, Letu Bai kickstarted a Wadi – igniting interest in other farmers, sharing her knowledge, and later being nominated as the Police Patil of her tribal village.
READ MORE
The Digital Dynamo!
Girdhar Panghate, Hardon, Chandrapur
During the 2020 lockdown, Girdhar kickstarted online classes. What started as a Whatsapp group of 3-4 students swelled to 6000 students on Zoom when he tried his hand at making educational videos and livestreaming classes.
READ MORE
Building an Organic Brand
Bhu Amrit FPO, Bhagwanpur, Uttarakhand
Kickstarting with just 20 farmers, Bhu Amrit FPO has swelled to 656 farmers – creating a line of value-added products like jaggery powder, honey, and mustard oil – and selling direct to retail outlets in Delhi, Gujarat & Punjab, and taking the brand online to Flipkart and Amazon!
READ MORE
ISO Accreditation for Schools
Moreshwar Bonde, Pimpalgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
Parents once opted to send their kids to faraway schools for education, that is until principal Moreshwar Bonde transformed the Government School in Pimpalgaon and got ISO Accreditation!
READ MORE
Intellectual Challenge No Barrier in Business!
Kamaljeet Singh, Budha Bheora, Punjab
Kamaljeet Singh was once struggling to deal with the day-to-day chores. But today, he independently runs a milk collection centre - earning an average of Rs 8000 per month.
READ MORE
PROSPEROUS FARMERS
Rajasthani Jeera Hits US Market
Prahlad Ram, Parma Devi, Puna Nadi – Inana, Rajasthan
“During lockdown last year, a lot of people in USA were buying things online.
We got word that our organic jeera, which is being exported to the US, was being purchased by the India diaspora, and word had it, that Kamal Harris was one of them.” Prahlad Ram and his wife Parma Devi have been on a roller coaster ride since growing organic Jeera...
Farming Success Found – In Retirement!
Asit Kanji, Sankrail, West Bengal
In 2007 Asit Kanji retired, broke! Solely dependent on agriculture to survive, he turned his farming enterprise around and is today, one of the most progressive farmers in the region – at the tender age of 68!
READ MORE
Young Farmer to Sarpanch!
Gopal Jambulwar, Panchgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
When 31yr Gopal Jambulwar took over the family farm, he adopted many modern techniques and saw that farming could be profitable after all! His success and enthusiasm inspired other farmers in his village to follow suit, and it was not long before they made him the Village Sarpanch.
READ MORE
Raising the Bar in Aquaculture
Himangshu Mandal Sudna, Farakka, West Bengal
Himangshu had never really grown fish before, but set a goal – to achieve the state average of 10quintals of produce per bigha, something no one had ever achieved before (the local average was just 3-4 quintals) Everyone was surprised, not the least himself, when he hauled in 24 quintals of production from his 3 bigha ponds!
READ MORE
Growing More, With Less
Balubhai Parmar, Rakhej, Kodinar, Gujarat
10th generation farmer Balubhai, today is helping lead the Somnath Farmer Producer Organisation (SFPO), and helping farmers achieve 24% higher profits, while using 19% less pesticide and 15% less synthetic fertiliser.
READ MORE
No Longer Burning Cash
Madhuram Jat, Kharadi, Jaitaran, Rajasthan
Little did I know that I was burning away cash every time I burnt the stubble from my crop. Once I understood that the waste material could be used as a biomass fuel, and earn me additional income, I threw myself into it. I started supplying mustard husk as biomass, and then gradually also provided shredded juliflora as a biomass – employing 15 people for 8months of the year along the way.
READ MORE
Quenching Banana Thirst, With Less
Mann Singh, Jagitiya village, Kodinar Gujarat
Bananas are thirsty that is why you would not see a banana tree around here for miles! But I saw an opportunity – if only I could sort out the water issue. Drip irrigation was the answer, where I could use less water, save money, and grow more.
READ MORE
Lift Irrigation Supports Vegetable Enterprise
Biswanth Mandal, Bhairabdanga, Bahadurpur, Farakka
I saw an opportunity in growing vegetables, quickly learning that early production of seasonal and off seasonal vegetables was the only way to get a good price from the market. But we faced a big water problem and had to find a solution. We got together as a group of farmers, and installed a pump to ‘lift’ water from the nearby river to irrigate our fields.
READ MORE
Micro-Irrigation Supports Pucca House
Dharmaram Shriramram, Khiyarti Dhaani, Marwa Mundwa, Rajasthan
I’m planting other high value crops like cumin and fenugreek, have adopted micro-irrigation and am exploring stronger markets for my produce with other farmers. This is how we have managed to pull down our mud hut, build a pucca house, purchase a bike and invest in a tractor. Today, I no longer work as a labourer, but hire labour on my 3-acre farm.
READ MORE
WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
Building a Chicken Empire
A once ‘shunned’ divorcee became the primary breadwinner of her 12member household after she took her chicken business from 350 to 30,000 chickens in under a decade. Look who is laughing now?
READ MORE
SRI Boosts Yield by 33%
Kalpana Manna, Chaturbhujkati Village, Sankrail, West Bengal
Kalpana once used to lease her block of land to another farmer, but after learning about System of Rice Intensification she decided to try her hand at growing rice – getting 33% higher yield than the previous farmer and reducing input costs by 14%.
READ MORE
Polyhouse Supports 8 lakh Bumper Crop
Chetna Devi, Kurki Village, Pali District, Rabriyawas
Learning about poly-house cultivation, housewife Chetna Devi took a chance and invested in a 4000sqmt polyhouse with drip irrigation and solar pump. The investment paid off and today she hauls in over 8lakh worth of Kheera and is the most progressive farmer in her village.
READ MORE
Coloured Cabbage Pays Dividends
Pratima Mondal, Karatberia village, Sankrail, West Bengal
It took time, but Pratima Modal finally convinced her husband to let her try growing vegetables. Pouring in a lot of love, she grew coloured cabbage which sold for 35Rs as opposed to regular cabbage that sold for just Rs5 – getting her husband’s attention!
READ MORE
THRIVING COMMUNITIES
Transforming Kukudsath
Kukudsath Village, Chandrapur Maharashtra
Just 1 year back, Kukudsath was as ordinary as any other village, but the community mobilised to make some changes – achieving 100% ODF status, planting 2500 trees and installing an RO and water ATM. And this village is just getting started.
READ MORE
Village 100% Educated
Haribhai, Pipli Village, Kodinar, Gujarat
“20 years ago, we grew just one crop and the entire village lived in mud huts - but today we all have concrete houses. Once water came, we grew 3 crops a year – cotton, sugarcane, wheat – and even got into animal husbandry. Today our village is considered 100% educated – all the kids go to school, the older ones have secure jobs or are attending college. All because of water.
READ MORE
Reducing Infant & Neonatal Mortality
Farraka, West Bengal
“In just 2.5years, the institutional delivery rate increased from 28.57% to 85.07%, Infant Mortality fell from 39.47 to 24.3 and Neonatal Mortality fell from 43.85 to 27.77. Today we have lots of healthy, happy babies and mums!
READ MORE
Community Unites for Water
Gulab Jithode, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
“We noticed cases of stomach and digestive ailments coming into the Health Clinic so we decided to test the water. Contaminants were high and it was unsuitable for drinking – so the community rallied, raising funds to set up a Water ATM, and finding marketing savvy to ensure people paid for their water.”
READ MORE
Ponds Transform a Desert
Rabriyawas, Rajasthan
There are about 83,000 ponds in Rajasthan, but many of these water bodies have fallen into disrepair – due to improper maintenance. In 2003-04, ACF decided to revive 4 ponds in Rabriyawas and the huge manpower and transportation required for the removal of silt, was provided by the community. The impact was transformational!
READ MORE
No Risk, No Reward
Venuben Murdwar, Kodinar
How a simple housewife took a 20 lakh loan to build a fishing boat and follow a dream… and then hauled in the valuable Gole Fish, earning 70 lakh in just one fishing expedition!
READ MORE
Child Labour to Milk Magnate
Kush Sardar, Kendua, Farakka
At just 10 years of age, Kush Saddar commenced work on a dairy farm – learning everything there was to know about the business. After his boss gifted him one milking cow, he rose up, and developed a profitable milk supply chain in his local area.
READ MORE
House Wife Trains Farmers
Vimalbai Kodape, Dhanakdevi, Chandrapur
Once stopped from stepping out of the house, today Vimalbai is an Agri Extension Worker who trains farmers on how to make farming more profitable.
READ MORE
Tribal Woman Becomes Police Patil
Letu Bai, Dhanakdevi Village, Chandrapur
A simple housewife, Letu Bai kickstarted a Wadi – igniting interest in other farmers, sharing her knowledge, and later being nominated as the Police Patil of her tribal village.
READ MORE
The Digital Dynamo!
Girdhar Panghate, Hardon, Chandrapur
During the 2020 lockdown, Girdhar kickstarted online classes. What started as a Whatsapp group of 3-4 students swelled to 6000 students on Zoom when he tried his hand at making educational videos and livestreaming classes.
READ MORE
Building an Organic Brand
Bhu Amrit FPO, Bhagwanpur, Uttarakhand
Kickstarting with just 20 farmers, Bhu Amrit FPO has swelled to 656 farmers – creating a line of value-added products like jaggery powder, honey, and mustard oil – and selling direct to retail outlets in Delhi, Gujarat & Punjab, and taking the brand online to Flipkart and Amazon!
READ MORE
ISO Accreditation for Schools
Moreshwar Bonde, Pimpalgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
Parents once opted to send their kids to faraway schools for education, that is until principal Moreshwar Bonde transformed the Government School in Pimpalgaon and got ISO Accreditation!
READ MORE
Intellectual Challenge No Barrier in Business!
Kamaljeet Singh, Budha Bheora, Punjab
Kamaljeet Singh was once struggling to deal with the day-to-day chores. But today, he independently runs a milk collection centre - earning an average of Rs 8000 per month.
READ MORE
Rajasthani Jeera Hits US Market
Prahlad Ram, Parma Devi, Puna Nadi – Inana, Rajasthan
“During lockdown last year, a lot of people in USA were buying things online.
We got word that our organic jeera, which is being exported to the US, was being purchased by the India diaspora, and word had it, that Kamal Harris was one of them.” Prahlad Ram and his wife Parma Devi have been on a roller coaster ride since growing organic Jeera...
Farming Success Found – In Retirement!
Asit Kanji, Sankrail, West Bengal
In 2007 Asit Kanji retired, broke! Solely dependent on agriculture to survive, he turned his farming enterprise around and is today, one of the most progressive farmers in the region – at the tender age of 68!
READ MORE
Young Farmer to Sarpanch!
Gopal Jambulwar, Panchgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
When 31-year-old Gopal Jambulwar took over the family farm, he adopted many modern techniques and saw that farming could be profitable after all! His success and enthusiasm inspired other farmers in his village to follow suit, and it was not long before they made him the Village Sarpanch.
READ MORE
Raising the Bar in Aquaculture
Himangshu Mandal Sudna, Farakka, West Bengal
Himangshu had never really grown fish before, but set a goal – to achieve the state average of 10 quintals of produce per bigha, something no one had ever achieved before (the local average was just 3-4 quintals). Everyone was surprised, not the least himself, when he hauled in 24 quintals of production from his 3 bigha ponds!
READ MORE
Growing More, With Less
Balubhai Parmar, Rakhej, Kodinar, Gujarat
10th generation farmer Balubhai, today is helping lead the Somnath Farmer Producer Organisation (SFPO), and helping farmers achieve 24% higher profits, while using 19% less pesticide and 15% less synthetic fertiliser.
READ MORE
No Longer Burning Cash
Madhuram Jat, Kharadi, Jaitaran, Rajasthan
Little did I know that I was burning away cash every time I burnt the stubble from my crop. Once I understood that the waste material could be used as a biomass fuel, and earn me additional income, I threw myself into it. I started supplying mustard husk as biomass, and then gradually also provided shredded juliflora as a biomass – employing 15 people for 8 months of the year along the way.
READ MORE
Quenching Banana Thirst, With Less thirsty – that is
Mann Singh, Jagitiya village, Kodinar Gujarat
Bananas are thirsty - that is why you would not see a banana tree around here for miles! But I saw an opportunity – if only I could sort out the water issue. Drip irrigation was the answer, where I could use less water, save money, and grow more.
READ MORE
Lift Irrigation Supports Vegetable Enterprise
Biswanth Mandal, Bhairabdanga, Bahadurpur, Farakka
I saw an opportunity in growing vegetables, quickly learning that early production of seasonal and off seasonal vegetables was the only way to get a good price from the market. But we faced a big water problem and had to find a solution. We got together as a group of farmers, and installed a pump to ‘lift’ water from the nearby river to irrigate our fields.
READ MORE
Micro-Irrigation Supports Pucca House
Dharmaram Shriramram, Khiyarti Dhaani, Marwa Mundwa, Rajasthan
I’m planting other high value crops like cumin and fenugreek, have adopted micro-irrigation and am exploring stronger markets for my produce with other farmers. This is how we have managed to pull down our mud hut, build a pucca house, purchase a bike and invest in a tractor. Today, I no longer work as a labourer, but hire labour on my 3-acre farm.
READ MORE
Building a Chicken Empire
Shafali Khatun, Farakka, West Bengal
A once ‘shunned’ divorcee became the primary breadwinner of her 12-member household after she took her chicken business from 350 to 30,000 chickens in under a decade. Look who is laughing now?
READ MORE
SRI Boosts Yield by 33%
Kalpana Manna, Chaturbhujkati Village, Sankrail, West Bengal
Kalpana once used to lease her block of land to another farmer, but after learning about System of Rice Intensification she decided to try her hand at growing rice – getting 33% higher yield than the previous farmer and reducing input costs by 14%.
READ MORE
Polyhouse Supports 8 lakh Bumper Crop
Chetna Devi, Kurki Village, Pali District, Rabriyawas
Learning about polyhouse cultivation, housewife Chetna Devi took a chance and invested in a 4000 square metres polyhouse with drip irrigation and solar pump. The investment paid off and today she hauls in over 8 lakh worth of Kheera and is the most progressive farmer in her village.
READ MORE
Coloured Cabbage Pays Dividends
Pratima Mondal, Karatberia Village, Sankrail, West Bengal
It took time, but Pratima Modal finally convinced her husband to let her try growing vegetables. Pouring in a lot of love, she grew coloured cabbage which sold for Rs. 35 as opposed to regular cabbage that sold for just Rs. 5 – getting her husband’s attention!
READ MORE
Transforming Kukudsath
Kukudsath Village, Chandrapur Maharashtra
Just 1 year back, Kukudsath was as ordinary as any other village, but the community mobilised to make some changes – achieving 100% ODF status, planting 2500 trees and installing an RO and water ATM. And this village is just getting started.
READ MORE
Village 100% Educated
Haribhai, Pipli Village, Kodinar, Gujarat
“20 years ago, we grew just one crop and the entire village lived in mud huts - but today we all have concrete houses. Once water came, we grew 3 crops a year – cotton, sugarcane, wheat – and even got into animal husbandry. Today our village is considered 100% educated – all the kids go to school, the older ones have secure jobs or are attending college. All because of water.
READ MORE
Reducing Infant & Neonatal Mortality
Farraka, West Bengal
“In just 2.5 years, the institutional delivery rate increased from 28.57% to 85.07%, Infant Mortality fell from 39.47% to 24.3% and Neonatal Mortality fell from 43.85% to 27.77%. Today we have lots of healthy, happy babies and mums!
READ MORE
Community Unites for Water
Gulab Jithode, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
“We noticed cases of stomach and digestive ailments coming into the Health Clinic so we decided to test the water. Contaminants were high and it was unsuitable for drinking – so the community rallied, raising funds to set up a Water ATM, and finding marketing savvy to ensure people paid for their water.”
READ MORE
Ponds Transform a Desert
Rabriyawas, Rajasthan
There are about 83,000 ponds in Rajasthan, but many of these water bodies have fallen into disrepair – due to improper maintenance. In 2003-04, ACF decided to revive 4 ponds in Rabriyawas and the huge manpower and transportation required for the removal of silt, was provided by the community. The impact was transformational!
READ MORE
WONDER WOMEN
Women Vets Kickstart White Revolution
Pashu Swasthya Sevika, Darlaghat, Himachal Pradesh
ACF’s women vets in Darlaghat saw an opportunity to further empower local women – by kickstarting a dairy business! A revolution ensued and today, milk has become liquid gold for women who are stepping out and up in the community!
READ MORE
Sakhi Ensures 100% Institutional Delivery
Chinu Mandal, Chandipur, Murshidabad, WB
At the age of 34, Chinu finished off her studies and trained as a Sakhi – ensuring 98% immunisation in her village and being felicitated by the Block Level Government as a ‘Corona Warrior’.
READ MORE
From Daily Labourer to Internet Sathi
Anitaben Ashwinbhai Barad, Panadar Village, Kodinar, Gujarat
Once a daily labourer, Anitaben has today taught over 7000 women how to use and access the internet, and used the internet to learn hair and makeup – opening her own Beauty Parlour as a result!
READ MORE
Solo Effort for 100% Toilet Coverage & Usage
Meena Devarao Bobade, Pimpalgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
Meena decided to take up the challenge of ensuring toilets were built in her village of Pimpalgaon. Despite strong opposition from the local community, Meena promoted toilets and tackled open defecation head on, with a ‘Good Morning’ team to change local behaviour.
READ MORE
Women break into Automobile Industry
Poulami Metya, Howrah, West Bengal
The automobile industry is one of the most male dominated industries in India and it is tough for women to find a role in it. But Poulami bucked this trend by training in 2&3 Wheeler Repair Technician and landing a job with Yamaha Technocon Services.
READ MORE
Differently- Abled
Landing a Job in the District Court
Harbinder Kumar, Ropar, Punjab
Harbinder grew up with speech and hearing difficulties, along with poor social skills. But 7 years at AMK saw him win 3 Olympic Medals at the World Special Olympics, and go on to land a job at the district court in Ropar. Now that is progess.
READ MORE
From Spurious Liquor, to Samsung!
Om Prakash, Nagaur, Rajasthan
Full of despair about his disability, Om Prakash started drinking and selling liquor – going down a bad path in life. That is until he met a SEDI trainer on the train, registered for mobile repairing and scored a lucrative job at Samsung!
READ MORE
From Punjab to the Winter Olympics!
SHAMSHER SINGH Ropar, Punjab
Shamsher Singh went from being an home-bound intellectually disabled child, to being an International Olympic Medal holder – having won Silver and Bronze Medals in Snow Shoing at the Winter Special Olympics.
READ MORE
ENTREPRENEURS
Calling the Shots
Naba Kumar Pal, Sankrail, West Bengal
Somehow, I never liked the idea of working for others, so I wanted to work for myself, and call the shots. I rented a small shop, and ‘N Pal Motors’ was born. At first, I was only able to earn about Rs.15000 per month, but slowly my customer base grew. Today I bring home Rs.30, 000 per month, employ 3 other mechanics and have the freedom to balance business and family”
READ MORE
From Polio to Profit
Prema Ram, Mundwa, Nagaur, Rajasthan
“I took a leap of faith and opened a new store where the rent was Rs.8000 – more than my entire family’s earnings. But I was feeling confident now – I was known for my hard work and people were treating me with respect. Today I earn Rs. 25,000 and am the highest earner in the family. Where once I was a liability, now I’m an asset.”
READ MORE
Building a Goat Empire
Bali Devi, Marwar Mundwa, Rajasthan
‘We are goat people – we’ve always had goats, long as I can remember. While I started out with 25 goats, I built up the herd to 50 in just 12months by giving timely vaccination and deworming them - earning good money which let my boys get proper jobs in town.”
READ MORE
500% Increase in Profit
Naran Patra, Bhagwatipur, Howrah, West Bengal
“Aquaculture has been in my family for generations. Like many other families in this area, we have a large pond right next to our house, but fish were always seen as a ‘side’ thing. I was shocked to know that I had not been following many scientific practices. So I tried implementing all this knowledge and my profit jumped from Rs 22,000 to Rs 1.2 Lakh!
READ MORE
Knitting During COVID-19
Simran Kaur, Ropar, Punjab
“My husband lost his job during COVID- 19 pandemic and I was able to sustain the family with my knitting. We were procuring wool from Ludhiana at Rs340kg and on-selling it via the SHG Rural Mart at Rs420 per kg. I started to get involved in the Rural Mart at a leadership level and today am on the Board of Directors.”
READ MORE
Happy Hens
Anjana Gayen, Mohisgot, Sankrail, West Bengal
“My chickens make me so happy! Where once I struggled to make ends meet with my husband’s factory job, today I can earn from home and manage all my household chores and responsibilities also – I’ve no need to go outside to earn! I’ve gone from 15 chicks in 2019 to 135 chickens in just 2 years and earn a whopping Rs. 70,000. Wouldn’t these chickens make you happy too?”
READ MORE
YOUTH
Born to Serve
Beant Kaur,
At just 18 years of age, Beant is no stranger to social work, having spent her adolescence as an Adolescent Peer Educator. Today she is the driver of ACF’s women’s empowerment program in her community and has her sights firmly set on generating social change.
READ MORE
Bravely Pursuing Career in F&B
Monu, Chirawa, Rajasthan
In Chirawa, Rajasthan, most of the women are bound to the home, with families bestowing the responsibility for earning an income on the men of the house. But 19 year old Monu decided to buck the trend by pursuing a career in Food & Beverage.
READ MORE
Inspiring 60 Youth to pursue skills
Leena Sahu Retail Assistant at WESTSIDE, RAIPUR Hathbandh, Bhatapara
Leena was mocked for thinking she could get a job after just 3 months training. But as a Retail Assistant at Westside, earning Rs.12,000 per month, Leena inspired 60 young people from her village to sign up for skill training!
READ MORE
Smart Phone Repair for Smart Girl
Dipannita Koley, Ranihati, Howrah District, West Bengal
I wanted to pursue higher studies, but we needed money to survive. So I took a short course in Smart Phone Repair, got a job at HiTech earning 10,000Rs per month and now have my sights set on promotion!
READ MORE
Young Farmers Off & Running
Dhanvantri Farmer Producer Company Una, Gujarat
The young farmers of Una district in Gujarat, are on a mission. Hailing from the Koli Tribe, the farmers are largely un-educated and fall under the ‘other backward caste’ community. But they have united in their effort to turn their farming enterprises around and enhance profits, by forming the Dhanvantri Farmer Producer Company and the group are off and running …
READ MORE
Women Vets Kickstart White Revolution
Pashu Swasthya Sevika, Darlaghat, Himachal Pradesh
ACF’s women vets in Darlaghat saw an opportunity to further empower local women – by kickstarting a dairy business! A revolution ensued and today, milk has become liquid gold for women who are stepping out and up in the community!
READ MORE
Sakhi Ensures 100% Institutional Delivery
Chinu Mandal, Chandipur, Murshidabad, WB
At the age of 34, Chinu finished off her studies and trained as a Sakhi – ensuring 98% immunisation in her village and being felicitated by the Block Level Government as a ‘Corona Warrior’.
READ MORE
From Daily Labourer to Internet Sathi
Anitaben Ashwinbhai Barad, Panadar Village, Kodinar, Gujarat
Once a daily labourer, Anitaben has today taught over 7000 women how to use and access the internet, and used the internet to learn hair and makeup – opening her own Beauty Parlour as a result!
READ MORE
Solo Effort for 100% Toilet Coverage & Usage
Meena Devarao Bobade, Pimpalgaon, Chandrapur, Maharashtra
Meena decided to take up the challenge of ensuring toilets were built in her village of Pimpalgaon. Despite strong opposition from the local community, Meena promoted toilets and tackled open defecation head on, with a ‘Good Morning’ team to change local behaviour.
READ MORE
Women break into Automobile Industry
Poulami Metya, Howrah, West Bengal
The automobile industry is one of the most male dominated industries in India and it is tough for women to find a role in it. But Poulami bucked this trend by training as a 2&3 Wheeler Repair Technician and landing a job with Yamaha Technocon Services.
READ MORE
Landing a Job in the District Court
Harbinder Kumar, Ropar, Punjab
Harbinder grew up with speech and hearing difficulties, along with poor social skills. But 7 years at AMK saw him win 3 Olympic Medals at the World Special Olympics, and go on to land a job at the district court in Ropar. Now that is progess.
READ MORE
From Spurious Liquor, to Samsung!
Om Prakash, Nagaur, Rajasthan
Full of despair about his disability, Om Prakash started drinking and selling liquor – going down a bad path in life. That is until he met a SEDI trainer on the train, registered for mobile repairing and scored a lucrative job at Samsung!
READ MORE
From Punjab to the Winter Olympics!
SHAMSHER SINGH Ropar, Punjab
Shamsher Singh went from being an home-bound intellectually disabled child, to being an International Olympic Medal holder – having won Silver and Bronze Medals in Snowshoeing at the Winter Special Olympics.
READ MORE
Calling the Shots
Naba Kumar Pal, Sankrail, West Bengal
“Somehow, I never liked the idea of working for others, so I wanted to work for myself, and call the shots. I rented a small shop, and ‘N Pal Motors’ was born. At first, I was only able to earn about Rs. 15,000 per month, but slowly my customer base grew. Today I bring home
Rs. 30, 000 per month, employ 3 other mechanics and have the freedom to balance business and family.”
From Polio to Profit
Prema Ram, Mundwa, Nagaur, Rajasthan
“I took a leap of faith and opened a new store where the rent was
Rs. 8000 – more than my entire family’s earnings. But I was feeling confident now – I was known for my hard work and people were treating me with respect. Today I earn
Rs. 25,000 and am the highest earner in the family. Where once I was a liability, now I’m an asset.”
Building a Goat Empire
Bali Devi, Marwar Mundwa, Rajasthan
‘We are goat people – we’ve always had goats, long as I can remember. While I started out with 25 goats, I built up the herd to 50 in just 12 months by giving timely vaccination and deworming them - earning good money which let my boys get proper jobs in town.”
READ MORE
500% Increase in Profit
Naran Patra, Bhagwatipur, Howrah, West Bengal
“Aquaculture has been in my family for generations. Like many other families in this area, we have a large pond right next to our house, but fish were always seen as a ‘side’ thing. I was shocked to know that I had not been following many scientific practices. So I tried implementing all this knowledge and my profit jumped from
Rs. 22,000 to Rs. 1.2 Lakh!”
Knitting During COVID-19
Simran Kaur, Ropar, Punjab
“My husband lost his job during COVID-19 pandemic and I was able to sustain the family with my knitting. We were procuring wool from Ludhiana at Rs. 340 per kg and on-selling it via the SHG Rural Mart at Rs. 420 per kg. I started to get involved in the Rural Mart at a leadership level and today am on the Board of Directors.”
READ MORE
Happy Hens
Anjana Gayen, Mohisgot, Sankrail, West Bengal
“My chickens make me so happy! Where once I struggled to make ends meet with my husband’s factory job, today I can earn from home and manage all my household chores and responsibilities also – I’ve no need to go outside to earn! I’ve gone from 15 chicks in 2019 to 135 chickens in just 2 years and earn a whopping Rs. 70,000. Wouldn’t these chickens make you happy too?”
READ MORE
Born to Serve
Beant Kaur, Bathinda, Punjab
At just 18 years of age, Beant is no stranger to social work, having spent her adolescence as an Adolescent Peer Educator. Today she is the driver of ACF’s women’s empowerment program in her community and has her sights firmly set on generating social change.
READ MORE
Bravely Pursuing Career in F&B
Monu, Chirawa, Rajasthan
In Chirawa, Rajasthan, most of the women are bound to the home, with families bestowing the responsibility for earning an income on the men of the house. But 19 year old Monu decided to buck the trend by pursuing a career in Food & Beverage.
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Inspiring 60 Youth to pursue skills
Leena Sahu, Retail Assistant at WESTSIDE, Raipur Hathbandh, Bhatapara
Leena was mocked for thinking she could get a job after just 3 months training. But as a Retail Assistant at Westside, earning Rs. 12,000 per month, Leena inspired 60 young people from her village to sign up for skill training!
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Smart Phone Repair for Smart Girl
Dipannita Koley, Ranihati, Howrah District, West Bengal
“I wanted to pursue higher studies, but we needed money to survive. So I took a short course in Smart Phone Repair, got a job at HiTech earning Rs. 10,000 per month and now have my sights set on promotion!”
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Young Farmers Off & Running
Dhanvantri Farmer Producer Company Una, Gujarat
The young farmers of Una district in Gujarat, are on a mission. Hailing from the Koli Tribe, the farmers are largely un-educated and fall under the ‘other backward caste’ community. But they have united in their effort to turn their farming enterprises around and enhance profits, by forming the Dhanvantri Farmer Producer Company and the group are off and running …
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