Chhaya Bhandare

An angry and hungry Chhaya had come to the Sangola weekly market on a Sunday. Her husband’s alcoholism was on the rise. Their traditional laundry business was in doldrums because of the addiction. The 3 children they had had grown up. Their education was a big problem. Chhaya’s manual labor could hardly sustain the family as far as the food was concerned. Chhaya was from Kamalapur. Her sister was in Sangola. For some solace, she went to her sister’s house after the market. She saw that a lot of women had gathered there. All of them had money and tally books in their hands. Everybody was happy. After the money exchange, everyone had to report her own progress. Chhaya was delighted to hear the experiences. She felt like she had found a magic wand. MBUP Saving Scheme was like an amazing thing for her. She became a member of the scheme and shortly after she started three saving groups in Kamalapur. MBUP gave her special training for leading and managing the groups. Chhaya took the lead in helping all the women members to stand on their own feet. She communicated very well with the women, created friendships. She helped a widow in getting the benefits of the government scheme, retrieved another’s land from the clutches of a loan shark, made another woman’s life by getting her treated for infertility and got a loan for the treatment of urinary stone of a member’s husband. 

An institute started a college and a hostel for MBA students in Kamalapur. On her own initiative Chhaya went to the management and started an ironing shop in the campus. With MBUP guidance, she put up a stall selling home made eating items in the annual fair at Kamalapur. That became a tremendous hit. Gradually she started selling the flour for these items. Within 5 years of becoming a member of the savings group, Chhaya became a self made independent woman. Today she is famous for her talks on empowerment of women.

Now, all her 3 children are well settled. She doesn’t need to cry about her husband’s misdeeds.

Fulabai Khadtare

Because of Self Help Groups of Mata Balak Utkarsha Pratishthan, I came in the way of progress. The snack training organized by MBUP has given rise to confidence. During this year I started a stall selling ‘Dhapate’( an Indian traditional snack) at Sangola Yatra (local event) and got a lot of profit. I have been more strengthened. Now a days I have been involved in the daily activity named ‘Khau Katta( snacks counter). Every day I get 600/- to 800 /- by doing this work in 4 pm to 8 pm. I am going to increase my business by saving myself from this, It is very much a part of a less educated women like me who gets this money because of my skill development

Aruna Ramesh Salunkhe

I was brought up in Akluj (Maharashtra) however got married to a person from Bidar, Karnataka. My Husband used to work at Sangli. There were property disputes within the in-laws about which I was totally ignorant. I used to be scared about the well being of my husband. I was pregnant one year after the marriage and came to my native place. I delivered a baby girl. Within a month my husband and father in law were killed because of the property dispute. It was a shock to me and due to language problems I could do the final rituals of my husband with great difficulty as the same was to be done in Karnataka.

I returned to akluj thinking of survival and decided to come to Sangola where my brothers used to work. I stayed there for seven to eight months only thinking how to survive in this world with the responsibility of an infant. Then I met Shakuntala Takale who took me to Sanjutai (of MBUP) to find a way out of this desperate situation. I told her the story. She told me that it was very difficult to claim back the property rights as the in laws area was falling under Karnataka’s jurisdiction. She then directed me to Sumantai who was looking after the training of nursery course on behalf of “Vanasthali”. I completed the course in six months successfully and started a nursery (play group). I used to conduct the Balwadi under a tree for one year. However I needed some place on rent. Vanasthali was paying only for my services. Meeting the requirement of rented place was impossible. I went back to Sanjutai. This time there was a need for trained attendant in the hospital. But it required completion of training course in nursing. I did not have money and had to borrow it. Sanjutai left me in the nursing training institute and I had to stay alone for 3 months. I was worried of completing the course. However the staff was very well trained and very nice to me. I learnt all the traits of nursing within three months and completed the program successfully. These were theory classes followed by three months practical experience. I did it under the supervision of Sanjutai in her hospital in Sangola. She also sent me to Mahud for further training and for gaining experience in attending deliveries. Subsequently I joined Kelkar hospital as an attendant.

My daughter started going in school and the need for earning more increased. I joined a self Help group and borrowed Rs. 500. I can make artistic ornaments. I realized that selling these could provide me an additional income. Fortunately through the marketing chain of SHGs under MBUP I started selling these ornaments in Solapur and larger cities and I started getting money. Recently I also successfully completed the Nursing course from Yashawanrao Chavan Open University and now I am working as a trained attendant in Kelkar Hospital.

Today I am a satisfied mother of an intelligent daughter and a proud woman who is self sufficient. I owe this to MBUP and Sanjutai without whom I would not have been able to see the Rays at the end of the tunnel…. !!