Over 2.8L rural women are now self-reliant in dist

Prayagraj: With the central and state govts initiating several measures aimed at bringing a positive change in the lives of rural women, over 2.85 lakh rural-based women have become self-reliant in the Sangam city.

District Mission Manager (Prayagraj) Sharad Kumar Singh says that with the help of self-help groups operating under the National Rural Livelihood Mission across the district, women are getting employment. This journey, which started with the formation of 1,409 self-help groups in the district in 2017, has currently reached 25,421.

Currently, more than 2.85 lakh women have become self-reliant after joining the self-help groups in 23 blocks of the district. A self-help group is formed by joining at least 10 women, and then the govt opens an account in the name of the group. Three months after the formation of a new group, Rs 15,000 is given to their account under the revolving fund. After the work starts and this money is returned, money is given after six months under the community investment fund.

Interestingly, women of Prayagraj district in rural areas have made their identity by moving beyond the traditional areas and intervening in new areas. Namita Singh of Jasra development block, 20 km from the district headquarters, is the block mission manager of the NRLM scheme. Namita Singh's Nari Shakti Prerna Sankul is doing the work of packaging Ganga water. Namita says, "Marketing was a big problem for the women of the village in the traditional self-employment options. For this, we took the help of an online platform, and now by packaging Ganga water, Ganga water is now being dispatched all across the globe." Women from her self-help group have sent 1,000 bottles of packed Ganga water to Germany and 50,000 bottles to Pune.

Along with packaging, rural women have also come forward in commercial farming. Sarita Devi of Sarpaar village of the district has made banana farming a source of income. She has also involved other women of the village. Sarita says that there is neither a marketing problem nor a problem of credit in banana farming. Fruit agents themselves come to their fields and buy their crop.