From Homemaker to Entrepreneur: Sunita Devi's Journey

Three years ago, Sunita Devi never imagined she would one day employ 15 women from her village. A mother of two from Pauri Garhwal, she struggled to make ends meet with her husband's meager income from farming. Today, she runs a thriving handicraft business that exports products across India. "When the NGO team first came to our village and talked about women's empowerment, I was skeptical," recalls Sunita. "I had never worked outside my home, never handled money for business. But they believed in us when we didn't believe in ourselves." The transformation began with a simple skill development program. Sunita learned traditional handicrafts, business planning, and digital marketing. Within six months, she had started her own small business making traditional Garhwali products. "The first order was just ₹500 worth of products," she laughs. "I was so nervous! But when the customer was happy and placed another order, I knew I was onto something special." Today, her business generates ₹2 lakh monthly revenue, and she has become a role model for women across the region. Her success has inspired 15 other women to start their own enterprises, creating a ripple effect of empowerment throughout the community. "My daughter now says she wants to be an entrepreneur like her mother," Sunita beams. "That's when I knew we had truly succeeded - not just in business, but in changing mindsets for the next generation."