{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "How a Tea and Paratha Canteen Turned Ram Beti Into a Symbol of Self-Reliance in Lakhimpur Kheri",
  "summary": "In Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, Ram Beti of the Maya Prerna self-help group started a canteen in 2018 and now earns around 2,500 rupees a day, with paneer and aloo parathas leading the menu.",
  "content": "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.\n\nOne 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.\n\nA Start With Limited Means\nRam 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.\n\nAt 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.\n\nShared Responsibilities\nRam 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.\n\nThe Group That Changed Lives\nRam 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nWhat this means for you\n• Across India: It shows rural women that joining an NRLM self-help group and running a small business can bring steady income and genuine self-reliance.\n• In Lakhimpur Kheri: Local women can take up self-employment through groups like Maya Prerna, just as this 11-member group did with its canteen in the Vikas Bhawan premises.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who is Ram Beti?\nRam Beti is a member of the Maya Prerna self-help group in Lakhimpur Kheri who runs a canteen.\n\n2. When did she start the canteen?\nShe started running the canteen in 2018, having joined the group in 2017.\n\n3. How much does Ram Beti earn daily?\nShe earns close to 2,500 rupees a day.\n\n4. Where is the canteen located?\nHer canteen currently operates in the Vikas Bhawan premises.\n\n5. What is most popular at the canteen?\nPaneer paratha and aloo paratha are people's top favourites here, and tea sells briskly too.\n\n6. How many women are in the Maya Prerna group?\nThe group has a total of 11 women, each handling different responsibilities.\n\n7. Under which scheme was the group formed?\nThe group was formed under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).\n\nInspiration & Lessons\nLessons from Ram Beti's journey:\n\n• Don't fear a small start, work can begin even with limited resources as long as the will stays firm.\n• Learn first, then leap, Ram Beti mastered savings and group operations before launching the canteen in 2018.\n• Trust takes time, customer confidence built gradually and only then did business grow, so patience matters.\n• There is strength in a team, 11 women divided responsibilities, which made the business sustainable.\n• Earning gives more than money, self-reliance brings confidence and turns you into an inspiration for others.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/success-stories/lakhimpur-kheri-ki-ram-beti-ne-chaya-parathe-ki-chhoti-si-kaintina-se-likhi-atmanirbharata-ki-kahani-roja-kama-rahin-2500-rupaye-4328",
  "category": "Success Stories",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-03",
  "tags": [
    "Self Help Group",
    "Ram Beti",
    "Lakhimpur Kheri",
    "Maya Prerna Group",
    "Women Self Reliance",
    "NRLM",
    "Tea Paratha Canteen",
    "Women Empowerment"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}