Stories
“I decided to earn people’s blessings”
It was a magical, life-changing moment when her husband’s generosity to a stranger coincided with the healing of her sick child. Sapna Upadhyaya decided to provide for the medical needs of underprivileged children suffering from cancer and launched livelihood programs to support their families. Here she talks about her journey.
Weaving magic with skeins of thread
Honing her inherent embroidery and design skills, Ruma Devi overcame personal and market hurdles to become a fashion designer. Now she has a fashion brand in her name, employing 22,000 women artisans. She talks about her journey.
Making paneer – the light at the end of her tunnel
Shakeela Jaffar struggled to make ends meet selling milk from her two cows. When her husband’s illness deepened her misery, an order for paneer became a ray of hope that has turned into a successful cheese-making business. Here is her story.
“We were humiliated when we pleaded for washrooms”
Viji Palithodi is a tailor-turned-activist from Kozhikode, Kerala, fighting for women’s rights in the workplace. Ironically, it was her abusive father who lit the fire of activism in her. Here is her story in her own words.
“My pupils will one day play at the Olympics”
Karuna Purty beat poverty and prejudice to become a national hockey player. Now she coaches girls who have the same dream in their eyes that she had many years ago. Karuna Purty from Khunti district of Jharkhand talks about her journey in her own words.
“My daughter was cold and still”
Shintu, who lives on the outskirts of Varanasi, was underweight and anaemic when she got pregnant during the pandemic. Because her husband lost his job, she did not eat well and gave birth to a premature baby – but lost her five months later. Read Shintu's story in her own words.
Passionate about bamboo – “the world’s panacea”
Naina Febin’s childhood fascination with the grace and power of bamboo turned into a passion. She believes the strong plant, known to stop soil erosion, is vital for her home state of Kerala, which is becoming increasingly battered by floods. Here is Naina Febin talking about planting over 2000 bamboo saplings wherever she finds the space.
“They are all my children”
Raised by a widowed mother who was on a mission to care for abandoned children, Neibanuo Angami carries on her mother’s calling to run their orphanage in Kohima, Nagaland. From begging for food as a child to letting her mother sell her only gold chain, Angami helped her mother nurture the children. Here Neibanuo Angami talks about her journey in her own words.
The last woman Kurumba tribal artist
Making paint from plants in the forest, Kalpana captures the stories of her people with each brush stroke. As the last woman of the five artists of her tribe left, she’s desperate to keep her art and culture from fading away. Here is Kalpana Balasubramanian’s story in her own words.
“Our lands used to lay wasted”
Sometimes all it takes is a smart woman to know a good idea when she hears one. This is the story of Shanku Ben, one of the Gujarati women who convinced the men in their village of Mubarakpura to use a special pipe to harvest rainwater and turn their saline, clay soil into a fruitful field. Here is Shanku Ben's story in her own words.