This is the story of how Geetaben, a young homemaker in Gujarat with little education, broke the ceiling of poverty and brought prosperity to a slum.
In the run-up to the International Women’s Day 2015, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg posted: “Equality is not just good for women; it’s also good for men. Husbands who are 50/50 partners have stronger marriages.”
As the world rallies to achieve women’s equality and support from men, here's an interesting story that has been unfolding for the past five years in a slum of Gujarat, India.
This is the story of how Geetaben, a young homemaker with little education, broke the ceiling of poverty and brought prosperity to a slum – aided by the support of her proud husband Rameshbhai.
Living in poverty and finding a way out
Geetaben lived with her husband in a shanty where they always struggled to make ends meet. He was a contract driver, she a homemaker. Their home was one of the many box-like single rooms, cramped in an alley of a slum in Surendranagar, Gujarat. Surrounded by gutters and filth, it seemed like this was their destiny.
Geetaben, however, could create magic in her kitchen. She made the most delectable namkeens in her neighbourhood. When she heard that a local non-profit, Prayas, was helping women like her establish their own small business, she thought, “Why not sell my namkeens and make a little money?”
Geetaben’s persistence and success
Geetaben took a micro-loan through Prayas and bought a large stock of ingredients, and made a few namkeens to sell in the slum. The stuff she made was so good, that word spread like wildfire. Soon, customers were walking into the slum, and seeking her out to buy the product.
Eventually, Geetaben repaid her loan and took a second loan through Prayas. She also hired a couple of neighbours to help and scaled up her production. Her husband, Rameshbhai, helped transport completed orders to her customers. By the end of four loan cycles, Geetaben had earned enough to build a house.
Building prosperity, and a husband’s support
Today, five years since she began, Geetaben employs 25 slum dwellers to help her make and package her namkeens, which are sold across the entire district and even to other cities. Her husband handles the logistics, delivering truckloads of the product daily. The logistics part supports other local businesses.
“My husband never got insecure. He supported me, and even gave up his job to help. Now he handles the deliveries so that I can focus on the products,” smiles Geetaben. When we visited Geetaben, her husband Rameshbhai offered us glasses of water, and listened proudly as his wife shared the story of their success.
Across India, there has been a growing trend of rural and underprivileged mothers turning into entrepreneurs. Their determination and careful management of finances, and the support of their appreciative husbands, plays a key role in their success. These empowered women entrepreneurs who are uplifting their families and the society around them definitely deserve much applause and encouragement.
The author works with Milaap.org
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