Through Hard Work and Right Direction, Shashikala from Sarbhoka Becomes a Wealthy Sister

Raipur, Sept 2025 : With the support of the BIHAN initiative, rural women have become a source of inspiration for self-reliance. The Lakshmi Didi Scheme is being implemented to empower women’s economic status by promoting self-employment opportunities. Hard work and efforts in the right direction are the key factors for anyone’s success. Shashikala, a resident of Sarbhoka Gram Panchayat in the Korea district, is a living example of this. By connecting with the BIHAN scheme, she has paved a new path toward self-reliance and has now established herself as a “Lakshmi Didi” in her rural community.

Women Can Take Loans Under the Lakshmi Didi Scheme

The Lakshmi Didi Scheme is aimed at empowering women’s economic status by promoting self-employment opportunities. To benefit from this scheme, women must first join a self-help group (SHG). After joining, they receive skill development training. Upon completing the training, women can take loans under the Lakshmi Didi Scheme to start businesses in sewing, beauty parlors, food production, animal husbandry, and other trades. Women can take loans of up to ₹5 lakhs under this scheme, and they do not have to pay any interest on these loans.

Journey from the Ground to Great Heights

Shashikala’s life began like that of an ordinary rural woman. The only source of family income was a flour mill, earning just ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 per month, which often left them financially strained. However, with the determination to become self-reliant and through hard work, she changed the direction of her life with the help of BIHAN. Today, alongside her flour mill, she has also established a grocery store, a spice packaging unit, and a DJ business. Through these four livelihood activities, her monthly income has increased to between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000.

A New Path Forward with BIHAN

Shashikala joined the Rural Livelihood Mission (BIHAN) in 2018 and formed the Chameli Self-Help Group with 10 women from her neighborhood. Initially, they received ₹15,000 as a revolving fund from the women’s group, followed by ₹60,000 from the Community Investment Fund (CIF), and later a personal loan of ₹1.5 lakhs. With these resources, she established her small businesses and continuously increased her earnings. Where her family’s annual income was only ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 before joining the group, she now earns approximately ₹3 lakhs annually.

Shashikala Becomes a Source of Inspiration as a “Lakshmi Didi”

Not limited to just her family, Shashikala has now become a source of inspiration for other women. She is currently the president of the Nari Shakti Sangh Level Organization in Budar, motivating and encouraging hundreds of women to engage in livelihood activities. Today, as “Lakshmi Didi,” she is not only providing support to her family but has also become a role model for other women in the village.