We usually have that one special friend in our group who behaves like a pedantic and correct our language every now and then. The knowledge of foreign language has become a social status for kids and for us too. This is totally a fad! Our society looks down upon the person who does not know English languages and it is considered that he will not be able to do anything in life. In this article, we are going to meet those six rural female entrepreneurs who have proved that English is nothing. These ladies have achieved milestones in their life while conversing in their local language.
Rajkumari Devi
Rakumari Devi is also known as #Kisaan Chachi. She hails from Muzzafarpu, Bihar. I met her first time in the IITF 2016 while purchasing her delicious pickles and Murabbas (Jam and Jellies). Rajkumari Devi was once not allowed to even go out from her house due to family restrictions. Her in-laws owned a little field where they used to grow tobacco only. After the division of their ancestral assets, she found out that she has only two and a half bigha zameen to survive on. She took the reins into her hands and instead of growing tobacco, she cultivated grains, fruits, and vegetables. She was happy as her crops were flourished and it was more than their family consumption. She started making pickles and Murabbas with remaining fruits and vegetables and supplied it to the local market. Embracing her new lively-hood, she started riding bicycles and used to meet females in the near villages and guided them to make the good use of their land. She started gaining respect and love from all around and people gave her new name “Kisaan Chachi”. Today Kisan Chachi is working with 300 women under Swarna Jayanti Rojgar Yojana and has 23 varieties of pickles and Jams. These are sold not only in the local market but in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai too. In 2006, she was bestowed with Kishan Shree Award. Rajkumari Devi is truly one of those rural female entrepreneurs who has proved that language is not a barrier at all.
Neelima Bibi
Neelima is a famous female entrepreneur in India who is running her threshing business along with other women. Since her childhood, she was involved in rice processing work. She used to boil paddy, steam it, dry it in the backyard and then thrash it into the rice mill to get rice. She never knew that learning this skill will help her to get recognition on the day. Neelima along with other 13 women formed a Self Help Group and decided paddy processing to take as their business. Started from a funding of Rs.3000 and a loan of Rs.17000, Neelima bought a manual paddy threshing machine. These females thresh paddy themselves and lease out the machine to farmers on rent. This idea became hit for these rural female entrepreneurs. Neelima aimed towards that not even a single woman in her village has to go through the assiduous paddy processing work. They paid the bank loan with full interest with the remaining sum of Rs.7000 they purchase a cycle van cart. They spend their money on food, clothes, education and other necessary commodities. Neelima’s elder son is doing his Masters in Art and the younger one is appearing in school.
Atram Padma Bai
Atram Padma Bai belongs to Patelguda Village, Telangana. She is a Fairtrade farmer and grows Cotton, red gram, black gram, and soya. The 37-year-old has been a member of Chetna Organics, a Fairtrade certified producer organization since 2007. Padma Bai started her own custom hiring center by investing her money in hard work reducing tools such as spades, hoes, pick-axes, and wheelbarrows. In villages, farmers do not have much money and always do not have tools that can reduce their hard-work in fieldwork. Padma Bai’s venture helps these farmers to afford these tools on rent on a minimum price of Rs 2 to 5 per day. She is also Sarpanch of her village and she motivates and helps other women to get more rural female entrepreneurs.
Jyoti Naik, The president of Lijjat Papad
Lijjat Papad is a product of Shri Mahila Grah Udyog. The president of this group is Jyoti Naik. Sticking to the core values for the last forty years, Lijjat Papad has captured a huge market. Once started from a loan of Rs. 80 only, the annual sale of Lijjat Papad has reached 3.1 billion now. This could have happened only because of the immense hard-work and sheer dedication of the rural female entrepreneurs behind. Today, the case studies on Lijjat Papad are being taught in the book of MBA.
Lingu Bai
Lingu Bai commenced her poultry business with an interest-free loan of Rs. 40000 and today she is earning around Rs.60000 in every four months that helps her replay her loan and earn her livelihood. The mother of two children has proved that in this patriarchal society, Indian narris can also make their place and prove that high education and knowledge of foreign languages are not mandatory. All you need is a strong will inside.
Jassuben Pizza
Jassuben Pizza is a pizza parlor in Gujrat and it is as famous as Pizza Hut and Dominos. An educated individual in Gujrat will surely prefer Jassuben Pizza over other foreign food joints. Jassuben used to make pizzas for her kids with that exciting Gujarati flavor. This taste was appreciated by other people and she started her own pizza parlor along with few other people. It is reported that Jassuben Pizza is selling around 20000 Pizzas daily and on festivals, it is more than that.
Also Read : This Chhole Kulche Seller Turns An Entrepreneur – Read Her Courageous Story!
