My husband works in Kerala so before getting connect­ed with MVDA’s project I was involved only in household chores and agricultural work for the family. I used to wake up around 5am to milk the cows and drop it off at the milk collection center before heading home to cook breakfast and finsh the household chores so I could drop the kids at school. Then I went to the farm to work with the agriculture and bring food to the animals. Today I do not have to work as much but before it was a lot.

One day, two years ago, a team from MVDA came to my village and told us how we, by their project, could learn about how to increase the productivity in our agri­culture and save money in our groups so the ones who need it will have benefits in the future.

With the new agro-techniques I have been thought, I now have a higher production and better quality of my crops than before. This gives me a much better economic situation. The women in the group could also give me a loan so I could build my house that you see behind me. The money we collect in our group we use when we need. The group lend me this money and now I am paying it back every month.

Now I have a beautiful home and enough money to help my kids with their education. I can buy small things for the home and I don’t feel dependent on my husband’s money. Now, I am also able to contribute to the family income and that feels great!

Now I have a beautiful home and enough money to help my kids with their education. I can buy small things for the home and I don’t feel dependent on my husband’s money. Now, I am also able to contribute to the family income and that feels great!

I always wanted to be a teacher so I was happy to join the programme in September 2016. Back then, I had finished my masters in Hindi and was giving extra classes to people in my home. I liked giving extra classes but I think working as a teacher at the centre is better because this programme is really good for the girls in the region. The parents here normally promote the boys education and don’t give preference to the girl children. The mothers and fathers often want the girls to stay at home to help them with the house chores. That is why this programme is good, because it helps with the girls education. It makes me feel good that I am part of this. I love to teach young girls and the senior staff is really helpful which helps me improve my skills. This also helps me in my professional life since my dream is to be capable and selected to teach senior secondary at a government school. I feel like being here helps me to develop so that I one day can achieve my dream.

I am the fourth sister of five in my family. I have always had an interest for stitching and making clothes. Before I heard about the MAST project I was helping my mother with the daily work around the house and taking care of our farm. One day MVDA staff in the village told me about the MAST course where I could learn both stitching and design during a three month course. The course was very good because we normally don’t have that opportunity here to meet a designer a teacher, and have different kind of activity and material to work with. Before taking the course I knew maybe 5% of what I know now. I was even able to work in the production centre while taking the course so I was earning at the same time as I was learning.

Now, I have my own shop and centre where I sell my products and train other girls. After the course I could use the money I had saved from my time in the centre to pay the rent for my shop and centre.

So far I have trained 10 girls in 8 months. I want these girls to have the opportunity to be independent and earn so that they can continue their studies. I feel really good because that is what I am doing now. I am earning for myself so that I can help my mother economically and continue my studies at a distance. I am currently studying my BA in political science & history and I am planning to continue with higher education after graduation. The work of MVDA is good because they benefit the women here by giving them the opportunities we did not have before.