When Rabia was widowed she was left with absolutely nothing. Her husband’s family took the house, she had no money saved up, she had no children to support her, and she had never held a job in her life. Nobody would remarry her and she couldn’t go back her family because she would be considered a failure in her village. Rabia lived day by day doing small jobs and most of the time resorted to begging. She was getting two meals a day at the most.
Rabia availed a microfinance loan in mahasemam to sell undergarments and children’s clothes. She now earns between Rs.100 -Rs.165 per day and is able to make ends meet. She has gone from begging and living on the street to having a thatch house, three meals a day, and a steady income. Life is still tough, but things have improved greatly for Rabia.
"I always have food and I don’t have to beg anymore. Begging made me feel like I wasn’t human, people looked down on me. Now I feel like a real person. I want Mahasemam to help others just like it helped me." |
