Women once confined to the four walls of their homes are today running their households and carving out a distinct identity in society, powered by their own skill and grit. In Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, self-help groups have emerged as a powerful route to self-reliance for such women. Set up under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), these groups have been successfully connecting women to both employment and self-employment.
One shining example of this effort is the Maya Prerna self-help group, whose members are scripting a new story of success through sheer hard work. Group member Ram Beti says she began a fresh chapter in her life by joining the group in 2017. At first she was taught the basics of small savings activities and how a group is run. Then, in 2018, she started running a canteen, which today has become her biggest source of income.
A Start With Limited Means
Ram Beti recalls that the road was far from easy. Work began with modest resources, but all the women of the group put in their effort together. Gradually people's trust grew, and the number of customers at the canteen kept climbing steadily. Today a large number of employees and ordinary people visit her canteen every day to enjoy breakfast and tea.
At present her canteen operates in the Vikas Bhawan premises. From morning until evening there is strong demand here for tea, snacks and delicious parathas. Paneer paratha and aloo paratha, in particular, remain people's top favourites. Tea sales are brisk too, giving the group a steady and healthy profit. Ram Beti earns close to 2,500 rupees a day.
Shared Responsibilities
Ram Beti explains that the Maya Prerna self-help group has a total of 11 women. Each woman handles a different task according to her own responsibility. She says joining the group brought a big change in her life. Earlier the family had to depend on others for its needs, but now the women earn through their own labour. This has been a great help in meeting the children's education, household expenses and future needs. Along with financial self-reliance, her confidence has also grown far stronger than before.
The Group That Changed Lives
Ram Beti believes that if women are given the right guidance, training and opportunity, they can succeed in any field. In her words, the self-help group gave her not just work but also lessons in leadership, teamwork and self-belief. Today she encourages other women to join the group and take up self-employment as well.
In rural areas, self-help groups are increasingly becoming an effective medium for the economic empowerment of women. Through small businesses, women are boosting their family income while also building a new identity in society. The Maya Prerna self-help group stands as an inspiring example, where the hard work of 11 women has turned a small effort into a thriving business. Today this canteen is not merely a spot to sell tea and parathas, but a symbol of women's labour, confidence and self-reliance.
