Karuna Hazra wakes up every morning at 5 a.m., wakes up her two children, and gets them ready for school. Her daughter Aparna is in class 9 and has been receiving good marks. Aparna's desire is to become a doctor, and she is fascinated by science and biology. Her younger brother Ronjon is six years old and has just started kindergarten. Karuna explained to me that he doesn't really enjoy schooling and loves playing with his friends. I remembered when I was six years old and dreaded doing math and practicing handwriting; I sympathized with Ronjon's pain.
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Luckily for Karuna, she doesn't really have to step out of her home to go to work because she now runs a small "mudi khana" or grocery store from her place. Her little store sells all the essentials that local villagers need to live like cooking oil, rice, salt, hygiene products, and other items. This store has been a huge help to locals because the larger bazaar is miles away, and it's often difficult to reach it during emergencies.
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She stated that before she had applied for the loan, she could only afford to sell basic supplies like rice and oil, and that her business was not really picking due to this lack of variety. After the loan, she has been able to diversify her offerings. "The pujas are coming up very soon and I am excited that I will be able to sell little toys and fireworks for the children in the area," she exclaimed to me during our interview. Before this loan was available, she would not have been able to do this and bring this joy to the children in her community.
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Luckily for Karuna, she doesn't really have to step out of her home to go to work because she now runs a small "mudi khana" or grocery store from her place. Her little store sells all the essentials that local villagers need to live like cooking oil, rice, salt, hygiene products, and other items. This store has been a huge help to locals because the larger bazaar is miles away, and it's often difficult to reach it during emergencies.
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She stated that before she had applied for the loan, she could only afford to sell basic supplies like rice and oil, and that her business was not really picking due to this lack of variety. After the loan, she has been able to diversify her offerings. "The pujas are coming up very soon and I am excited that I will be able to sell little toys and fireworks for the children in the area," she exclaimed to me during our interview. Before this loan was available, she would not have been able to do this and bring this joy to the children in her community.
Karuna Hazra sits in her small grocery store
