Success or failure, life goes on

During my field visits, I meet with a lot of former Devadasis running various different micro-businesses to remain financially independent and lead a life of dignity. Just like people in all the other walks of life, today some of these women are immensely successful and some are barely able to make a living. After meeting with Shobha Lambugol and Pulavati Kelgeri, I was easily able to see this contrast of fates. Both of them took a Milaap loan to expand their business a few months ago, started at the same point and are today at very different stages in their businesses.

 

Shobha lives in Manjari village in the Belgaum district of Karnataka with her son and grandchildren. She sells homemade appalla (also known as Papad) to other shop keepers and also runs a kirana store out of her house. The kirana store keeps her busy and allows her to save for a rainy day. Her son works in a brick factory and together they are able to meet all the daily requirements and provide good education to children. Her daughter-in-law passed away a while back, and ever since then, Shobha has also been a loving mother to her grandchildren. The confidence and happiness her business endows her with was clearly visible in her demeanor.

      

 

However, meeting with Pulavati was a completely different experience. Living alone in chikkodi, Pulavati also used to run a kirana store selling general items such as chocolate, soap, shampoo etc. She intended to expand her shop using her loan amount. But when I reached her house, the shop was closed. Pulavati has been suffering from joint pains from quite some time which makes it very difficult to run the business alone. She told me, “I haven’t opened the shop from past two months.” Now she is completely dependent upon her daughter and son-in-law. 

 

Life is a winding road and each blind turn may bring good or bad along with it. Some investments pay off and lead to success stories such as Shobha’s. Some like Pulavati are not so fortunate and have to make do with whatever life offers them.