ANARI DEVI: A TRENDSETTER OF LIVELIHOOD IN THE VILLAGE
Salaha village is 10 kilometres distant from the block headquarter of Bagaha-I of West Champaran district while 60 kilometres away from the district headquarter of Bettiah.
Salaha village has a mixed population of all the caste where PEARL project started its operation in July 2020. A drive of intensive awareness was conducted among the farmers, poorest women, children, adolescent girls and boys. SHGs, farmers clubs, adolescent forums, bridge education centers formed and established for the empowerment of the village.
Chandni self-help group was formed in the village in which Mrs. Anari Devi also joined as the member of the group. Soon after joining the group, Mrs. Anari Devi started attending the meetings of the group regularly. She was an active member of the group and also looked so enthusiastic to improvise her poverty situation. One day, Mr. Munna Yadav held the meeting on livelihood promotion among the women which Mrs. Anari Devi understood so deeply.
Mrs. Anari Devi put a proposal for the loan of Rs. 1000 for livelihood in the group meeting. Group members unanimously approved her loan and provided Rs. 1000. Mrs. Anari Devi added Rs. 2000 from her pocket and started bangles and cosmetics work. She paid back Rs. 1000 to the group with nominal interest rate. Now the net worth of her small business is Rs. 8000. She earns Rs. 200 – 300 per day. She usually goes to nearby villages and sells the bangles and other cosmetics items to the women and earn the money.
Mrs. Anari Devi has four sons, three of them are married and live separately while the youngest son lives with her mother. There are 06 members in the family. Her husband is a daily wage labour who has migrated to Punjab while her son also works in Ambala, Punjab. Her daughter in law is engaged in goat rearing and piggeries and she has 04 goat and 01 pig.
Mrs. Anari Devi is working hard in such an age and has become a trendsetter of livelihood in her Salaha village. Other women of her group are now quite enthusiastic to start their livelihood by getting inspired by Mrs. Anari Devi. She says, “there is no age of starting the livelihood when you have the opportunity and resource, start the livelihood and reduce your poverty situation. Nobody can improvise your poverty situation; it is only you who can help yourself to emerge as the true champion to fight your own poverty.