UP: SHG member from Lalitpur village, grows canteen business with govt support, thanks PM Modi

Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 24 : In Uttar Pradesh's Lalitpur village, women like Sunita are rewriting their stories through self-help groups (SHGs).
Connected to an SHG, Sunita, once confined to her home, now successfully runs a canteen, transforming her life and supporting her community.
With the guidance of government schemes and the support of fellow group members, Sunita and many others have ventured into entrepreneurship, turning dreams into reality.

Sunita, a self-help group member who runs a canteen in Jhansi's Lalitpur village, said, "I am connected with a self-help group and run an NGO. Earlier, I didn't do anything. I just stayed at home, taking care of the children and managing the household. Gradually, I learned about the self-help group. We joined the group, and we were taught how to run a business. We moved forward with everyone's support."
"We kept receiving information about different schemes, CCL (Cash Credit Linkage), and savings, and we kept getting involved. Then, we took out money through CCL and used it to start a canteen. With everyone's support, we have reached this point," she added.
"Our canteen has been running for three years now. Earlier, we were confined to just the home. Now, we have come to the city, met many people, and as everyone liked the taste of our food, we have grown further," Sunita said.
"Because of the government's support, we have benefited so much that we are now earning in our way. We are receiving full support", Sunita added
On PM Modi felicitating Lakhpati Didi on August 25, Sunita said, "I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Modi Ji. I hope more women join us and move forward".
Another self-help group member from Simrawari village of Jhansi who makes home decor items from old newspapers, Akanksha Tamrekar, said, "The name of my group is Nav Srijan Mahila Swayam Sahayta Samuh. My group is associated with the government's National Rural Livelihood Mission. In our group, we make home decor items from old newspapers. This includes paper dolls, lamps, baskets, garlands, etc. In this way, we make more than 100 products and take our work ahead, and with this, we sell our products at the fairs provided by the government and wherever we are sent. We go there and sell our items at the fairs, and we also sell them online."
Akanksha Tamrekar received the Uttar Pradesh State Award from the Industries Department for making a nine-foot paper doll in 2019-20.
Talking about her passion for art and craft, Tamrekar said, "Since childhood, I had a passion for constantly creating something new. So, while sitting at home, we used to make things out of old newspapers. After I got married and came here, the women around me who saw my work said that I was doing a good job and expressed their desire to join me. Then we found out about the NRLM scheme here, which helps women advance in their livelihoods."
"When we joined NRLM, we learnt that 10 women could form a group, and through this, we received financial assistance, which helped us advance our work. The government also provided us with opportunities to participate in various fairs, including international trade fairs in Delhi. We showcased our products at all these places. Through this, I had the opportunity to meet the honourable Chief Minister twice and the Prime Minister once," she added.
"It's a matter of pride for women that earlier we couldn't step outside and only worked at home. Today, we have become so empowered that we are progressing along with our husbands and helping them run the household," Tamrekar added.
Speaking on how her family helped her in her journey, she said, "In my house, everyone generally supports me a lot, but when we started this new work, they didn't understand it at first. They would say that we were just creating a mess in the house. Once they saw the products, everyone in the house also started supporting us move forward."
"Previously, we had to ask for money for everything, whether it was for running the house or other needs. Today, we have reached a point where if anyone in the house needs something, we can fulfil their needs as well," she added.