Saira Bano lives with her family in Lodhi village of Balrampur in Chhattisgarh. Her husband is a farmer. The couple has four children. Her eldest daughter has been married and the second one is working as a teacher. The other two children are studying. She belongs to a poor family and it was the poverty that had made her think about means to earn some extra money.
Saira’s quest for a means to earn extra money came in the form of Bihan. Some women in the village formed a Self Help Group and got associated with Bihan. When Saira came to know about the opportunities offered by Bihan and the way women were being trained in and supported to run various trades, she decided to give it a go. She joined a Self Help Group and took up different kinds of activities. She and the other women got training on the technicalities of poultry farming and were also given financial support. With the support from the government the women of the SHG gradually developed their enterprise and were soon making profits. “I got associated with SHG because I thought we all could fight poverty together. We took up poultry farming, fisheries etc., and started to make profit. Now we sell our produce in the market. The members of the various Self Help Groups want to work hard so that the name of the SHG become famous and everyone becomes more prosperous.” She says.
Saira Bano is no longer living in poverty. She is glad that she made the decision to join the Self Help Group and got associated with Bihan. “Joining the Samuh (Self Help Group) has given me and other women so much opportunities. It would not have been possible otherwise. Now we do not have to worry about money. We are progressing and we will progress further.” Saira says.
Saira Bano’s husband is very supportive of her affiliation with Bihan and the work she is doing. However, he had some moments of doubt in the past. “When we were talking about setting up the poultry farm, he was a bit hesitant. He was questioning where we will get the money. But as we took a loan from the Self Help Group and repaid it with the profit we made, he had no issues with it.” She recalls.
Saira’s biggest reason for being associated with Bihan is her children. She wants them to get good education and want them to get settled in life. “I don’t want them to live in the poverty and insecurity we had to live in.” She says.
It is not just Saira but many other women from the village have also been able to change their lives by joining SHGs and getting associated with Bihan scheme. It has been a boon for not only the women but for the entire village. As of now there are four Self Help Groups active in the village. These SHGs are active mainly in poultry farming and fishery.
