Surya Kanti Pradhan lives in Biraguda village of Kandhamal District. Her in-laws introduce her as the “pillar of their family”. Things werent the same a few years ago. “It was difficult for me to convince my family as they would say, that there is no need.” Having studied up to the seventh grade, Surya knew the advantages of joining a self help group and more than that, she wanted to learn new cropping patterns. When CARE India’s Pathways initiated a women’s self help group in the area, Surya Kanti Pradhan did not let this opportunity pass and encouraged women in her family along with another 14 women to contribute 20 rupees every month to the group. Now, this has been raised to 30 rupees. After the intervention of Pathways team, her family is taking up newly introduced agriculture practices like now they have a kitchen garden. They do not have to spend much on food after the kitchen garden has been set up by her in the area. Pathways taught her to make organic compost which saves the cost of buying it from the market and since three months she has been making the compost in her own field. Surya is confident about her role in the self help group and doesnt fear anything at all. She says, “We are family” and they are my strength.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 11:32:00 +0000
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