Jharkhand woman becomes 'Atmanirbhar' through poultry farming under Centre's NRLM
Rekha Besra from Jharkhand's Jamtara is an inspiring example of how the Rashtriya Gramin Aajeevika Mission (NRLM) is playing a vital role in empowering women to become 'Atmanirbhar' (self-reliant).
Besra, a resident of Dhanbad village in Udalbani Panchayat in Jamtara, once worked as a farm labourer to support her family; however, now, by leveraging the program, she has established herself as a successful poultry entrepreneur.
According to Besra, until a few years ago, the family's financial situation was very weak. Her husband worked as a labourer to support the family, and it was becoming difficult to run the household.
"During this time, the women of a self-help group informed me about the Aajeevika Mission. I then joined the group, received training, and took out a loan of Rs 1 lakh from the bank to start a poultry business," Besra said, speaking to IANS about her story.
Today, Rekha has nearly 100 chickens, and her small business is steadily growing. The income from poultry farming has strengthened her family's financial situation. Now, Rekha and her husband, Lakheshwar Murmu, jointly operate the poultry farm.
"Now, we are Atmanirbhar... The increased family income has also enabled the children to receive better education and upbringing," she said.
Rekha's husband, Lakheshwar Murmu, now runs his own business. He oversees the farm and manages the egg sales. Rekha's eggs are in good demand in the local market, and most of the products are readily sold.
In Jamtara district, many women like Rekha Besra are increasing their incomes through self-employment activities like poultry, goat rearing, and egg production under the Aajeevika Mission.
Self-help groups provide women with access to training, bank loans, and market connections, empowering them economically.
According to officials, the main objective of the livelihood mission is to empower rural women by connecting them to self-employment, providing them with skill development training, bank linkages, and marketing assistance.
Rekha Besra's success story exemplifies that with proper guidance, training, and financial support, rural women can not only transform their families' economic situation but also become an inspiration to other women. Through the Aajeevika Mission, many women in Jamtara are moving towards becoming "Lakhpati Didi."
