BaideiPutel lives in Medinipur village of Kalahandi district with her husband and two children.Putel has a deep connect with the forest and agriculture. From ever since she can remember she has been walking the dense greens to pick food, firewood & leaves. Till 2015, she used to make pittance of INR 500-600 per month by selling forest produce & working in others’ agri land.
Her husband worked as an agri labour and hardly gets 15-20 days of work in a month. The money they earned was inadequate for them to manage their day-to-day expenses. The couple also found it difficult to take care of the education expenses of their children. In those tough times, she attended a village meeting conducted by a Relationship Officer of Sampark Fin Services and was pleased with the concept of microcredit.
In the year 2016, she applied a loan of INR 25,000/- to start a vegetable and paddy cultivation in a small leased land. From the loan money she was able to purchase seeds, fertilizers, and a water pump for farming. The cultivation went well and she increased her farmincome. A good farm yield and the willingness to succeed more in her endeavour gave her the confidence to take a 2nd cycle loan of INR 30,000/- for 18 months in the year 2018. She started growing vegetables like okra, cucumber, brinjal, carrot etc. Now she owns a personal vegetable outlet at the local market. At present, she is cultivating in 2.5 acres of land and has given employment opportunities to three of her JLG women member and her husband for the cultivation of vegetables and selling them in market. Her husband helps her in the outlet and their household’s monthly income has increased significantly. They are also able to managethe education expenses oftheir children in a better way.
SFS works towards financial inclusion can be significantly measured through the success story of Mrs. Baidei. It feels privileged to have helped women like Baidei, who have not only changed her own economic situation but also created opportunities for other women to earn and take care of their families.