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.

Setting the ball rolling…

The Second Chance Programme implemented by Manjari Foundation and supported by Pradan and UN Women has set the ball rolling for several women like Promilla Karmakar. Aged 24 years, Promilla is from Assam, now based in Jaisalmer where she is working as domestic help at the residence of an Airforce professional. Promilla is one of six children of a single mother.

Her late father was murdered in a family dispute. Unfortunately, owing to several family issues, she had to discontinue her education after Class 5 and start working at an early age to support her family. Even today, Promilla who is still unmarried, bears the sole responsibility of supporting her mother financially. She contributes INR 3000 every month, out of her earnings of INR 5000.

It was the intervention of Manjari Foundation that opened new prospects for Promilla. The moment she heard about the Second Chance Education Programme, she was eager to become a part of it. In 2019 she got her name enrolled under NIOS (Open University) for a Class 10 examination. The day she received the study kit, she got emotional. “I couldn’t express the joy I felt in words”, she says.

For the first time in her life, Promilla feels a strong will and motivation to do something for herself. We hope this Second Chance will brighten up her future…