Monika Dalvi’s Transformation Began with Just Rs 50 worves and a determination that would take no for an answer. When Husband’s Agricultural Ventures Kept Failing, She Keept Asking Him to Let Her Manage their farm, but his response was always a fire refusal.
“He finally Gave me just 2,000 square feet of land, probably thinking I’m fail,” says What happened Next surprised Everyone, Including Her Husband. Within three months, she had earned a profit of Rs 25,000 by Cutting out Middlemen and Selling Produce Directly to Consumers.
Today, Her Husband Stays Home to Take Care of their Children While Dalvi Single-Handedly Manages 2.5 Acres of Farmland. “Women like us from the rural areas have the potential to do wonders.
Dalvi’s story is one of 17 Similar Transformations in Hiware Village, Where Young Women Have Launched Enterprises Ranging From Dairy Collements and Tailoring Units to Beaauty and Hardware Works. Their Journey from Domestic Confinement to Entrepreneurial Leadership Offers Insights Into How Targeted Interventions Can Unlock Rural Women’s Economic Potential.
Breaking barriers
Until Recently, Most Women in Hiware Couldn That Leave their Husbands’ Permission, Let Alone Participate in Gram Sabhas. Despite man being being 12th pass or graduates, they had little understanding of local governance. “Not a single woman used to participate in a gram sabha meeting before,” says Dalvi.
But when Magic Bus India Foundation, An NGO, STARTED IT YOUG Women FELLOWShip Program (YWFP) in Hiware in November 2023, The Picture Started Changing. The ngo, which works with people undersered communities, Faced Initial Resistance from Families WHO Viewed Women’s Roles As Strictly Domestic.
“Initially, family members opposed any kind of training for these women. Magic Bus Foundation, who conducted life skills training in the village.
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The program has helped 124 Women Across Pune and Raigad Districts to Becom Entrepreneurs in two years, with 94 per cent of the first cohort now financially. The average monthly income is Rs 9,500, with over half earning profits Above Rs 4,000.
But the numbers tell only part of the story. Trupti jagtap, who convinced her husband to let her start a Furniture Accessories Workshop, Now Generates Employment and Activate Participates in Family Decisions. “Unlike before, when we have a good voice our suggestions, I now take part in making family decisions,” she says.
Nisha Chavre Learned Tailoring Skills Through The Program and has Since Taught Over 15 Women. Reshma kudale Took Beauty Parlour Training and Now Provides Services as far as latur and beed.
Moreover, these women have become agents of community development. In april this year, they successfully pressured the gram panchayat through gram sabha meetings to renovate a water tank that has been in disrepair for the last decade. One felow has become the deputy sarpanch in Khopoli.
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Community engagement in the area has been increased, and women is addressed isissing from water scarcity and garbage disposal to street lighting and school renovations. They have Organized Health Camps, Established Resource Centres, and Even Collectively Funded Nurserry School Renovations Using their stipend money.
“The NGO PROVIDES Entrepreneurship Training, Seed Funding, Connections to Domain Experts, and Initially A Monthly Stipend, Whiche Helped Instil Confidents and Make them Finanically,” Explains Kukade.
“Through ywfp, we aim to address the female forces participation rate gap, a critical challenge in rural India With magic bus ngo.