“My dream is to see my daughter go to school, stand on her | Milaap

“My dream is to see my daughter go to school, stand on her feet.”

On a Saturday afternoon, I found myself in the under-developed part of Chandkheda, a neighborhood of Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s fastest growing city. The day was bright, and the weather pleasant. I was here to meet the group Zalak Mahila Mandal and their leader Jashodaben to check on their progress after they had been provided a loan of Rs. 75,000 by Milaap lenders for growing their micro businesses. But as the leader was too occupied with work that day, I met Shilpaben, another member, instead.
 
As I stepped inside Shilpaben’s house, a one-year-old child with her sugar sweet smile made my day. Kashish, Shilpaben’s daughter was undoubtedly adorable. After her mother talked with delight about her daughter and her traits, she divulged into the details of what made her start her tailoring business.
 
Tailoring has always interested Shilpaben. After completing her course in it, she decided to start her own microbusiness. She is mainly involved in sewing children’s clothes and traditional dresses. With her loan from Milaap, she was able to buy her own sewing machine. Now, she earns a profit of Rs. 2000 to 3000 on a monthly basis. No longer does she have to use her neighbor’s sewing machine. And she is grateful to Milaap for this.
 
“My dream is to see my daughter go to school, stand on her own feet. In today’s time girls’ education holds utmost importance,” she said, sharing the goal that motivates her.


Shilpaben with her daughter