The Unstoppable Shanti Bai: How One Woman Changed Her Destiny

Manjari Corner

Under the AHT Project, Udaipur, quality marigold saplings were provided to farmers to promote floriculture as an additional source of income Successfully completed a 3-day residential training for the 4th batch of Digital Sakhis from Jhabua and Ranapur Blocks An Awareness Program on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV was conducted at Government Girls Senior Secondary School to educate adolescent girls on personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene and reproductive health.

The Unstoppable Shanti Bai: How One Woman Changed Her Destiny

This is the story of Shanti Bai, who was married at an young age of 16 years and has 3 children. Her daughter has dropped out of school and is married. Her eldest son has also dropped out from school after class 12 and is working as a mechanic in Surat. Her husband works as a construction worker and his income is very irregular. She was a unlettered and was a housewife when she decided to start her own enterprise.

Shanti Bai was associated with Sakhi project as a SHG member in 2021. She had availed a loan of 25K in 2022 and a loan of 25K in June 2022 to open a grocery shop in her village. She earns 5-6K every month from her grocery shop. She has also reared buffalo and goats for additional income. She says “I wanted to go to school with my brothers but my father never allowed me to go to school and instead I was asked to do all the household work. She is illiterate but she has learnt to calculate money and maintain her stock in the shop. She feels that she has received true empowerment after she has ventured out of home.