Impact Stories

Setting up women entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is not only about venturing into a start-up. It includes small vendors too who sell fruits, vegetables or grocery items on carts. Sona Dantani, 25 lives with her husband, in-laws and four children in a shanty near Acher Depo, Sabarmati. Her husband is a daily wager. He earns by cleaning homes, masonry work or picking up garbage.

The shanty doesn't have lights or fans. The rising mercury causes tremendous troubles to stay during noon time. Her children cannot bear the sweltering heat. But they have no option. She recalls, "My in-laws had a pucca home on the Acher Depo road with two rooms including kitchen. They had been staying here for more than 40 years. I got married and we too had another one room home on the road. Due to certain reasons, my in-laws had to go to Rajasthan while we had to go out for a few days."

She continues, "Meanwhile, the civic body authorities visited the place where we used to stay. More than 40 houses were located on the road. They demolished all of them and provided homes in return for them. As there was no one who could represent our situation, our homes got demolished along with others but we didn't get home which others received. We became homeless." This made them determined to fight against the system. They are living in a shanty just nearby the road where they used to stay on a government land. Many times the people from civic body warned them saying not to encroach the land and took away their vessels, clothes but they didn't budge.

She says, "We filed an application in the civic body with all documents to look into the matter as it is our right to get home like others. How can we pay home rent of Rs 4,000. We can't afford it. They come and break our shanty but we again make it and stay here. They never return our vessels and clothes. We have to buy them again. But the authorities have assured us to think about our situation." During covid19, they were in a hand to mouth situation. However, good samaritans helped them each day by providing food. They were beaten by cops at times for moving out despite lockdown. She asserts, "We had to violate the rules as we had to feed our children. They were tough days. The help reached us later in terms of food."

Her mother-in-law sells flowers. This made Sona think to sell rangoli colours during Diwali in 2021. This could help them to get a certain income. Initially, she got a cart on rent for six days. She paid rent of Rs 50 each day. In the meantime, she met a member of Mazdoor.co team and they asked her about her needs. She expressed that she was in the need of a cart. She wanted to earn the living for a family and business was the best way. Her strong will impressed Mazdoor.co team members and they gifted her a cart.

She now earns Rs 3,000 per month by selling seasonal fruits. She sells the fruits which are available at lower price in the market. She sells bananas, watermelons, musk melons, mangoes etc during summer. She complains of not having an umbrella and weighing machine. She gets them on rent paying Rs 40 every day. Selling fruits since last six months, she feels she has become more confident and feels proud of herself to contribute in the family.

Her two children are enrolled in a government school at Acher Gam. Her son, Ganesh is in Class 4 while the daughter Jaya studies in Class 6. Both like studying. She wants to earn more as she feels her children are in the need of tuition classes. She wants her children to study well. Her husband earns Rs 300 per day. But she wants her husband to get into the selling of vegetables. This will give them a stable income. Each day they go to Jamalpur and buy flowers, fruits for which they pay Rs 200 as rickshaw fares to and fro. They are aware citizens. They have an Aadhaar card, Pan card, Election card and bank account too. The adults of the family are vaccinated too.

She says, help in umbrella and weighing machine will sort out her problems in a big way. They won't have to buy them on rent and so they can save the money spent on it. She wishes to have one more cart for her husband. She is happy as Mazdoor.co helped her to get cart to sell fruits. Her income was raised as she doesn't have to pay the rent to get a cart every day. It is a relief for her to run her own business with provide for the family. We are happy to have empowered an entrepreneur.