Manjari Corner

Under the Entrepreneurship Development Program, a total of 75 entrepreneurs participated in the 2 batches of 3 day EDP training at Jhajjar location. Women from our Uthori Jagriti Kala Manch delivered a powerful nukkad natak on women empowerment at Shilpgram and the Fatehsagar Flower Show attended by over one lakh visitors. Our all-girls Manjari Football Club's debuted at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Football League against boys' teams. Kumari Aarti, Goalkeeper, awarded with "Player of the Match" on Day 1 and Kumari Damini named "Player of the Match" on Day 2. A two-day training program was organised at Dariba location focusing on capacity building, teamwork and field skills for the group sakhis. Financial literacy training was conducted in Bhaldia, which included money management, savings, investment strategies, and maintaining income-expenditure balance. Information was also provided about Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

Madhu Khoiwal: From Adversity to Achievement

Madhu Khoiwal, a 55-year-old woman from Rajasthan's Chittorgarh, has been featured on the online media portal SheThePeople, and the reason is quite interesting. Madhu had a journey filled with challenges and empowerment. Growing up in a village where education for girls was not considered essential, she dropped out of school during the 5th standard. After getting married and having children, she felt demotivated and resigned to the role of a homemaker. However, her perception of women's roles in society and her children's encouragement inspired her to dream bigger.

Thirty years later, she decided to return to school and pursue education once again. With determination and hard work, she successfully passed her 10th examination. Supported by the Manjari Foundation, she aimed to become a LIC Agent. Although she faced failure in her first attempt, she persisted and eventually cleared the exam in her second try. Recently, she started her own agency and has been learning about running a business with great enthusiasm.

Madhu's story serves as an inspiration to women of her age, emphasizing that age should never be a barrier to pursuing dreams and achieving financial independence. Felicitated as a grassroots entrepreneur by UN Women India, Madhu hopes for a future where no woman is deprived of the opportunity to learn and become self-reliant.

In her own words, "We can pick up any hobby, any work, or any purpose whatever stage we are at in life; what remains common is the determination to pursue it. Being financially independent at this age is a huge example of the same."