Cashew is a major cash crop in the coastal regions of the country. Chirala on the Coromandel Coast (Bay of Bengal) has unfolded another interesting angle to the otherwise a normal and ordinary episode. For the members of Lata Mahila Sangham (SHG) at Chirala cash is flowing into their vaults like a bumper crop. And MEPMA and cashew are responsible for this. The SHG was formed when MEPMA started functioning in the state of Andhra Pradesh. All the ten members of the group, M/s B. Mariyamma, G. Subbamma,A. Varalaxmi, P. Siva Kumari, B. Ram

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Members of the Om Siva Sai Group joined together to conduct their wholesale business through a grocery shop. All the members (they are now 10 in the group) earlier worked in a small food production unit floated by a local woman who later became a member and leader of the group. They are all drawn from backward class category. When MEPMA inaugurated its activities in the local municipal town all these women had taken a wise decision to form a group among themselves. They thus metamorphosed into a self-help group without changing the con

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With dexterity, devotion and passion at command, the 40-year old Ambati Dhanalaxmi makes Gods, Goddesses and Divine Pariwar (family).  In doing so, she is proverbially eco-friendly and follows in the footsteps of the Lord Brahma of the Hindu pantheon of Gods. She uses pure mud in making most of the divine figures and figurines. For Dhanalaxmi, manufacture and sale of divine figures form part of essential livelihood routines. For the traditional Lord Brahma creation of mud figures is reported to be a part o

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A group of Muslim Self Help Group members are shining to glory with their impressive product. People might wonder what these women’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is. Yes, indeed Rubina cleaning powder is the product these poor women manufacture in a small dingy house in the slums of Azimuddin Nagar under Kurnool Municipal Corporation that has caught the attention of the poor women. Fifty-year-old Akthar Bee, a low profile homemaker, never ever dreamt that one day her small but bustling enterprise would make her famous. Co

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When Bandaru Dhanalaxmi, hailing from Tanuku in West Godavari district migrated to Kurnool along with her three sons to join husband, she never dreamt that the life would be so difficult. Dhanalaxmi, unable to make both ends meet in her village decided to come and stay with her husband, who used to make pickles on a small scale and sell in the rural areas of Kurnool district. “I used to help my husband in preparing pickles, which he used to take on bicycle and visit far flung areas like Banganapalli and Betamcharla and other

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When Kakollu Venkata Nagakanyaka, 51 year old woman from Gudivada in Krishna district came to Kurnool two decades to work in an NGO that trained women in tailoring, little did she know that one-day she would turn into an entrepreneur. Sudden closure of the voluntary organisation that ran the training centre for women in Kurnool and her subsequent decision to chart an independent course saw her becoming an independent entrepreneur. Mrs. Nagakanyaka initially trained in Vidyavanam Public Trust in Pamarru in tailoring worked there for som

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Smt Y. Madhavi of Sri Mahalaxmi Podupu Sangham stands out for her beautiful Banjara cloth work. The beautiful bags, dewan and sofa sets, wall hangings, fridge covers all designed by herself is a regular fixture at most of the exhibitions in the two Telugu speaking states. She manages her house chores and work equally. Madhavi helped by her husband participates in almost all the exhibitions where they display the Banjara cloth work. The finished products start from Rs. 50 for a purse to Rs. 2000 for the bed spread or a sofa cover. The d

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It has been a sweet saga for 39-year-old Pebbeti Hemalatha, proud owner of successful snacks manufacturing unit in Yemmiganur Town of Kurnool district. “I wanted to become a police officer as I was a very good volleyball player and won gold medal in the game,” Mrs. Hemalatha says recalling her dream initially and how her marriage to Pebbeti Srinivas Reddy, a realtor in the Town changed her course of life in 2007. “From the ambition of becoming a cop, I today spend my time in supervising my workers, who dis

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Surely the poor women of Pratibha Self Help Group lead by Mrs. Padmavathi in Bangarpet in Kurnool Municipal Corporation are showcasing their talent through designer candles. Sheer hard work and a firm belief that women cannot confine themselves to the household chores has yielded good dividend for the Pratibha SHG formed with 10 members. After saving some money through the thrift activity, the members decided to scout for some employment opportunity when they were apprised about the potential of making candles including designed and sc

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Role of fate for the young B Kavitha (38 years) of Palakollu town has been devastating and played havoc with her life within a short period after marriage. Her Husband met with a road accident in 2009 and his legs and hands were severely injured. He was made unfit for ordinary routines of life for many years. He decided to cap his business due to his near immobile condition. Coincidentally Kavitha joined the local SHG truly compensated for her personal loss. The craft she learnt came to her rescue after her husband’s mishap.

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She is Sk.Kathumbee, leader of Kathumbi Self Help Group from Kanigiri. To explain things in her life, we should say before and after joining the Self Help Group. Before joining the SHG, she is  entangled in the financial crisis. Somedays there is don't even the food to eat. But these situations never let her down infact made her stronger enough to face anything in life.Those hardships developed a zeal in her to become not only self reliant but also create livelihood to many other women like her as well. Through acquain

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Situation before the intervention:

My name is G Rangamma working as street vendor in semi urban/urban limits selling Vegetables and Fruits .My family members has to lead in this livelihood .During lockdown whatever little savings I have spent to run household. It is very worst situation that I couldn't go out and no finance is there with me to restart my livelihood of vending and it is very tough time.

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First in this category of talented team are members of Bapuji Self Help Group in Chowdeshwari Nagar, whose intricate designs and sheer labour ensure that attractive silk sarees are woven day after day. With eight looms installed into two separate houses, it is a busy day for S. Eashwaramma and P. Ashwini, who have been weaving intricate silk sarees on demand. It takes five days to make one saree.

The work is hard but they do not know anything else, hence this became their source of bread and butter. They 

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Bobbili is highly reputed for manufacture of the Indian (Carnatic) musical instrument, Veena (a string instrument). Sai Ganapati SHG  with 13 members is involved in the manufacture and supply of musical instrument, Veena. Out of thirteen in the group, four are seen in the activity: M/s G. Rajani, G. Ramu, S. Thoudamma and S. Aruna. All of these four are related and Rajani’s husband acts as the master technician in the process. These women are playing their personal and professional role exceptionally well.

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Hemalatha and Ramadevi, members of Pragathi Self Help Group in Visakhapatnam hailing from poor backward class families took a bold step in 2013 – 14 to establish their own business unit dealing in sea shells after working for couple of years as daily wagers in the firm making toys and decorative items using seas shells.

When Hemalata and Ramadevi decided to do it separate, four other members in the SHG expressed willingness to join. It was a daring decision at that juncture as neighbors in the seaside vi

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For the group of poor Muslim women in Kothapeta in Kurnool Municipal Corporation it is dream come true. For them backbreaking work was fetching a paltry sum and illiteracy among them always turned out to be the main hurdle for development.  A ray of hope came in the form of SHGs and with encouragement of MEPMA, ten Muslim women joined the thrift movement to form Roshan Self Help Group opting  Hairoon as group Leader.

Taking into consideration the fact that these women would not easily venture out

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M.Lakshmi, hailing from Tirupathi is a member of Gajalakshmi Self Help Group since a decade proved that a strong zeal and zest is enough to create an identity for herself and improve the economic background of her family. At the time of joining SHG, her family was in financial crisis as only earner in the family is her husband who was alcohol addict. It became hassle task to adjust all the expenditure of the family with meagre income. So she took the right decision of joining joined self help groups with the 10 other members in her nei

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Everyone will have a desire to achieve something in their life. But to transform desires into reality we should get ready to face the financial troubles and the family responsibilities. SD Nigar, member of Subhanallah Self Help Group have faced many Ups and downs before joining the SHG. To aid her husband, She nurtured her creative skills and made something innovatively. She thus started making crystal handbags and got appraisal from the neighbours which gave her boosting to develop it into unit  and make it a way to earn an i

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Having big dream isn’t a problem. But we have to set our focus and  work hard enough towards it to achieve that dream. Naga Lakshmi, a member of Shajahan Self Help Group had a big dream of establishing her own production unit of Bags on large scale while watching her mother in law making small purses and wallets at home. Prior setting up unit, she nurtured her skills through Technical training organized by MEPMA at Vijayawada and then established “SS Bags”, a large scale bags production unit with

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Life is what happens to us while we are making plans. Srithi, a post graduate in MBA who was working for private bank thought of escalating her career graph swiftly. Her plans failed miserably by sudden demise of her father. In order to aid her mother, she quit the job and took family responsibilities on her shoulders. She paved her own path to be financially independent by making her hobby of handicrafts work learnt in schooling days a way of life. She barely managed to earn money by making of home decoratives and door hangings initia

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Have you ever heard about Chilakalapudi? It’s a place near Machilipatnam that’s famous for Imitation and gold covering Jewelry works which has a history of 130 years. Naga Jyothi of Maruthi Self Help Group, a native of this place is always thought to have a page of history on her name and made it possible. She is not an imitation Gold rather a diamond. She mended every opportunity that come her way to expand her traditional jewelry making occupation into a business. Joining Self Help Group worked as a boon to set up

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Where we come from is not in our hands but where we are going to be is definitely in our hands. Krishnaveni, a member of Satyavedha Podupu Lakshmi Self Help Group belonged to poor Socio -Economic background, she dusted off her poor destiny and redefined it richly by setting up a Production unit of Doormats and Saree falls making in Kurnool. She fought against all hardships and setbacks to be what she was today. Its all started fifteen years back, when she was making saree falls at home and selling them to house nearby neighbors.

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One should start a journey of thousand miles with a single step. Ayyamma, a member of Lakshmi Self Help Group started her journey from home cooking to owning a millet store “Annapurna Foods” in Kurnool. She is an active member in the SHG and attended the Entrepreneurship Development Programs, training and various awareness programs organized by MEPMA. During one of the awareness programs on health and Nutrition, She got to know about Nutrition deficiency prevailed, importance of healthy food intake and thought to wo

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“Difficult roads often leads to beautiful destinations “ quote suits aptly for our SHG women entrepreneur L. Vani of Divya Self Help Group in Machilipatnam who became a pro in the production of Jute Bags bang on with latest trends. Either while young or adult, she kept her spirit high even though facing many difficulties socially being a women and economically being elder one in the family among three siblings, by sacrificing her education after intermediate. ( She stays in Machilipatnam after marriage whereas after

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Situation before the intervention: My name is shaik jaheer working as streetvendor in semiurban/urban limits selling cosmatics and fancy items. My family members has to lead in this livilihood. During lockdown whatever little saving I have spent for my household purpose. It is very worst situation that I couldn't go out and no finance with me to restart my livilihood of vending and it is very tuff ti