A spicy success story

Even a few months ago Poonam Devi did not know how to make ends meet for her six-member family. But what worried the poor woman more was not being able to afford a good education for her son.

Today, there's always food on Poonam’s table and, what’s more, her son goes to a school where the tuition fee is Rs 650 per month. The secret of her prosperity lies in the self-help group (SHG) that she and other women from her village set up. Their success story began when the women enlisted for training by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and approached a local NGO, Mahila Jagriti Samiti, for aid. Some initial hiccups later, they started manufacturing various spices.

First Published: Nov 22, 2006 00:47 IST