“Every woman, equipped adequately, has the ability to stand tall and strong in adversities and become an agent of change.”
No stranger to adversity, Rekha worked for 10 years as a sugarcane labourer to supplement her husband’s meagre income. Hope arrived at her doorstep when she trained with SSP as a community resource person and successfully initiated small projects for change.
In 2020 the country wide lockdown had a devastating impact on Rekha’s village. Life as they knew it came to a complete halt. Family members returned from cities and income sources dried up. Anxious for work, women approached Rekha for help. Sensing their desperation, she was spurred to action and approached the Gram Panchayat for support.
Working actively with the members, she identified work that could be allotted to the women under MGNREGA. Rekha’s fierce determination to see their misfortune turn to opportunity, resulted in a win for both her friends and her community. 120 women ensured connectivity by building 500 meter road, 4800 cubic meter deep water tanks were dug, providing clean drinking water to the village. The women added rupees 8000 (110 USD) to their income.
“I know what it is to feel utterly hopeless. The dark void that shrouds you” shares Rekha. “I couldn’t sit and watch my friends suffer. I knew I had the ability and the courage to help them – and that’s all I did. Hopefully, they will carry that spirit with them”.