Loan enabled three income sources

Sindhuja, India: Sunaina Devi (51) of Kandy village, Sikandara, Bihar mortgaged her crop land to treat her sick husband, but unfortunately, she could not save him. After the death of her husband, the responsibility of running the house fell on her. She had a son who was not well educated and was unemployed. Her family lived in a small village where there were not many employment opportunities. The people of the village used to either engage in agriculture or were employed as labourer. In such a situation, the responsibility of managing household expenses fell on Sunaina Devi.

Sunaina Devi however did not lose her courage and decided to run her own business. But due to lack of capital, she found that her determination to start a business is a non-starter. During this time, she met Madan Kumar Rai, the Branch Manager of Sikandara branch of Sindhuja Micro Credit, who had gone to her village to do diligence of a center which was going to avail credit from Sindhuja. After the meeting of the center was over, Sunaina Devi narrated her problem and asked the Branch Manager about the loan and the process of availing it.

The Branch Manager enquired the members of that center regarding Sunaina Devi and asked for their consent to let Sunaina Devi join the group on the basis of collective responsibility. The members readily accepted to let Sunanina Devi join the group. Sunaina Devi took 25 thousand rupees ($340) from Sindhuja for the first time and opened a small shop of fruits and vegetables in a nearby market.

Slowly this shop started running well and picked up the business. She started making savings and depositing her money in the Bank. After a while she freed her mortgaged land with the money saved. Her son started to work on the land and grow crops.

Sunaina Devi maintained her loan discipline in the group, on the basis of which she again took a loan of 40 thousand rupees ($545) in the next cycle and used some money in the shop and rest of the money she used for purchasing a cow. Her son started looking after the cow. She is now selling milk to a nearby sweet shop. Her income has now increased and is from three sources: Fruit & vegetable shop, crop from agricultural land and milk. Now the whole family is very happy. Sunaina Devi states that "her husband can no longer come back, but due to Sindhuja I have tide over the financial crisis and will not face financial difficulties anymore. Sindhuja has given a new light in the life of my whole family.”

Source: Sindhuja, India. https://www.sindhujamicrocredit.com/