The journey of Ms. Smitha tells us how the determination of a woman with the support of her family can make a change in her life.
Ms. Smitha, age 40, lives in the village of Kulathada with her husband Santhosh and two children. Her daughter is undergoing training in fashion design and her son is in the 11th grade. The family owns only 20 cents of land and none of the family members have secure employment. The income that the husband received from daily wage work was the only earning that helped them survive. Agriculture could not be counted on as a steady income stream as the land holding is very small. According to Smitha, “Really confused about how to go ahead and make ends meet. Education of children has become a burden.”
It was at this time that the corner groups of Profugo was formed in Kulathada area by CRA Ms. Molly. Smitha joined as a member in ‘Kannikoythu’ group and started saving small amounts. After six months she took a loan to purchase a cow. A loan of Rs. 30,000/-. With this amount she bought a cow and constructed a small but manageable cow shed.
The entire family, including children, helped Smitha in rearing the cow, collecting grass and so on. She repaid the first loan, took a second one of Rs. 50,000, and bought two more cows. She repaid the second loan and followed with a third loan of Rs. 100,000/-. She currently has eleven cows! Her husband is fully supportive of her cow rearing. He is no longer going for daily wage work but is instead focusing on their dairy program.
A total loan of Rs. 180,000/-, effectively utilized, and they are now in a good financial position. They sell milk, cow-dung, and calves. Ms. Smitha is very happy now as a farmer and entrepreneur. She points out the multiple benefits from this program:
- Payment of fees of her children for higher education
- Repayment of loan without any delay
- Refurbishment of their house
- Full time engagement for husband as well as Smitha
- Able to make savings on a regular basis.
Smitha is very thankful to the microfinance program of Profugo. In her own words, “nowhere else have I experienced such a simple and helpful process for getting a loan at a fair rate. I am very happy to associate with Profugo.” Now she plans to avail a fourth loan of a higher amount to construct a more spacious cow shed and to purchase additional cows.
Ms. Smitha concludes “Before availing this loan and starting cow rearing, we had no idea how to envision the future. For me this loan is a blessing.” Supporting entrepreneurs like Smitha is Profugo’s mission. A global neighborhood for a better quality of life!