Team News Riveting
Ranchi, October 27
The Phoolo-Jhano Ashirwad Abhiyan launched by the Government of Jharkhand is bringing a significant change in the lives of thousands of women involved in selling Hadiya (a kind of desi liquor).
Women involved in selling liquor are now opting for alternative livelihood solutions with the help of financial support extended by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS).
Anju Devi, a resident of Petarwar block in Bokaro district, was forced to sell Hadiya due to financial compulsions. Her husband works as a daily wage labourer, but the earnings did not suffice enough to buy the necessities of the household and bring up her children. To support her husband, she started selling Hadiya on the roadside. In a very short span, she realized that people look down upon her due to her involvement in Hadiya Daru. She contacted the local SHG in her village and got a loan of Rs 10,000 through Sakhi Mandal and started a tea and snacks shop, thereby opting for a respectful livelihood solution. After some time, she paid back the loan offered by Sakhi Mandal and again took a loan of Rs 20,000 to expand her business. With this loan amount, she started a grocery (ration) shop next to the tea shop. Now, she earns more than Rs 400 to Rs 500 per day and leads a respectful life.
There are thousands of such stories, wherein, women forced to sell Hadiya Daru have opted for an alternative livelihood solution and are now leading a respectful life. After taking charge in the office, Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren had given clear instructions to the senior officials to do whatever it takes to prevent women from selling Hadiya Daru while providing them with all necessary support to establish alternative livelihood solutions. As per the instructions of the Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren women selling Hadiya Daru, due to poor financial conditions, are being linked with women self-help groups under JSLPS and being counselled to leave Hadiya Daru business with a loan grant to start another business.
Before Phoolo Jhano Ashirwad Abhiyan life was difficult, says Gudiya
Gudiya Devi, a resident of Rachanka village under Daru block of Hazaribagh district used to sell Hadiya Daru. She recalls, “due to our poor financial condition, I used to sell Hadiya Daru. Thinking of opening some shops was a dream. People would look down upon us, it was difficult to walk home. For any major requirement, we would take a loan from the village moneylenders. Life was difficult.”
After a while, she came into contact with the Gulab Aajeevika Mahila group, a women self-help group under JSLPS. Gudiya attended capacity building training given by JSLPS. She stopped selling ‘Hadiya Daru’, the local liquor. She got a loan of Rs 15,000 from SHG and bought a cow and a goat with that loan. Now she earns her livelihood through selling cow and goat milk and leads a respectful life.
Janji is thankful that SHG members contacted and motivated her to opt alternative livelihood solution
An intermediate degree holder, Janji Kumari, is a resident of Mahadev Bathan Tola located in Mahagama block of Godda district. Her husband was unemployed, so under compulsion, Janji Kumari started selling Hadiya Daru to run her household. Members of the Sakhi Mandal group contacted and counselled her to leave this work and opt for an alternative livelihood solution under Phoolo Jhano Ashirwad Abhiyan. She immediately agreed and took training about group operations and accounting from JSLPS. Also, she took a loan from the group and parallel started a tea-snack shop at home.
She says, “earlier, it was difficult for me to think of doing anything other than Hadiya. SHG Didis informed me about Phoolo-Jhano Ashirwad Abhiyan and easy loan availability. Now, I am an active member of the group and motivate others to leave Hadiya Daru and start some other business.”
