Rural livelihood mission turns UP women self-reliant

Varanasi: Scores of rural women who have turned entrepreneurs after joining the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission are writing their own destiny with their abilities and hard work. Aarti Devi, resident of Basani village runs a canteen in a school to support her family. She said this employment opportunity not only supports her family but also earns her a respect from family members and others. Soni Gupta, who along with 11 women of her self-help group (SHG) Jai Mata Di SHG runs a bakery, said, “With the help of the government, we are becoming self-sufficient, and now we don’t depend on others for work”. Today, over 1.27 lakh women associated with the rural livelihood mission are earning at least Rs 10,000 per month by engaging themselves in different enterprises. The deputy commissioner of self-employment, Dilip Sonkar said there are 10,635 self-help groups in Varanasi, of which the total number of women is 1,27,620. Among these, 72,862 women associated with the livelihood mission are strengthening the household economy by becoming entrepreneurs. According to the official, women of self-help groups are given startup fund of Rs 2,500, revolving fund amounting Rs 15,000, and Rs 1,10,000 as community investment fund . Women associated with the livelihood mission are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, tailoring, grocery, floriculture, powerloom, handicrafts, poultry farming, producing and selling many products like phenyl, washing powder at the schools and community health centres. Sarita Devi of Hari Om Savasyam help group who works with a 12 women making slippers, said they are now out of the moneylenders’ trap.
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