A story that ends with happily ever after

A resident of a small village, Magurkhali in North 24-praganas in West Bengal, Taslima is doing very well for herself. While the opportunities in the small locality dome limited, Taslima works both as a worker of sari embroidery as well as an entrepreneur. She owns her micro-enterprise of animal husbandry. She purchases calves and rears them for around three-four years. During this time, she uses it as an asset to make monthly earning of Rs. 3000. from selling milk at Rs. 40 per liter. Thereafter, the fully grown healthy cow is sold for a good price of Rs. 14000 - Rs. 15000. The lump sum cash flows from the sale are used as profitable investments in her businesses or used to finance high budget personal expenditures. 

While she manages to make continuous earnings from her animal husbandry business, she does ’aari embroidery’ to ensure a continuous flow of cash every month. Like many other women in the village, Taslima is also a contract worker for the dealers who visit these women and offer them employment. She is given all the raw materials such visitors and in return are paid a little money. Although the payment made towards their art is not substantial, the small income flow compensates for the otherwise meager family income. She earns around Rs. 2000 a month in addition to engaging in the art.  

Taslima’s family includes her husband and two children. Her husband, Abdul is a carpenter and works at a workshop for Rs. 5000 - Rs.6000 per month. Both her children, a boy and a girl, are happily married and settled. She immediately prompted me saying, “My daughter has one daughter and my son has two children also!”. The grandmother's pride and attachment were seamless. Her voice reinsured the satisfaction she had achieved. Her children were settled and the returns from her business were fulfilling. The couple was making enough earnings in order to undertake all expenditure, yet also manage to do some savings.  

It was a pleasure to meet this positive woman. Indeed, she must have faced several hardships to make this ultimate settlement with life, but she chose to rejoice her victory than mourning over the lost battles.