Manjari Corner

Under the Entrepreneurship Development Program, a total of 75 entrepreneurs participated in the 2 batches of 3 day EDP training at Jhajjar location. Women from our Uthori Jagriti Kala Manch delivered a powerful nukkad natak on women empowerment at Shilpgram and the Fatehsagar Flower Show attended by over one lakh visitors. Our all-girls Manjari Football Club's debuted at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Football League against boys' teams. Kumari Aarti, Goalkeeper, awarded with "Player of the Match" on Day 1 and Kumari Damini named "Player of the Match" on Day 2. A two-day training program was organised at Dariba location focusing on capacity building, teamwork and field skills for the group sakhis. Financial literacy training was conducted in Bhaldia, which included money management, savings, investment strategies, and maintaining income-expenditure balance. Information was also provided about Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

Different Generations, Same Aspiration: A Journey of Determination

The title aptly captures the story of Mamta Solanki and Meena Kanwar, residents of Kishanganj village in the Baran district of Rajasthan. Mamta, 24 years old, is the daughter of Meena Kanwar, 43 years old. Mamta got married to Tanwar Singh five years ago but has since separated from him. Due to socio-economic hardships, her education was limited to the 8th standard. Meena is a widow and had four children (two sons and two daughters) with her late husband, Mr. Gajendra Singh. One of her sons works as a helper at an unorganized restaurant (Dhaba), while the other son works as a laborer. Both sons contribute a small amount to the family's income. Out of Meena's two daughters, one is happily settled, and the other, Mamta, lives with her mother.

Meena earns INR 2,000 by cooking food for the mid-day meal program. Additionally, she holds the position of president in a Self Help Group (SHG) under the Rajivika initiative. Unfortunately, Meena's education was limited to the 7th standard. Mamta, her daughter who resides with her, is involved in stitching tasks and earns INR 500 to INR 1,000 per month. The intervention of the Manjari Foundation, implementing the Second Chance Education Program in the Baran district, sparked interest among several women in the area, including Meena and Mamta. As a result of this intervention, the mother and daughter enrolled for the 10th Standard exam under NIOS. Initially, people in the village mocked them, but the desire of the mother and daughter to pursue education was strong enough to ignore the opinions of those who laughed. Mamta and Meena, despite their age difference, share the same aspiration!