Roopa felt this powerful impulse after attending the Buzz Spoorthi training in 2019. When she came to attend the training, she was a woman who had lost all hopes. Roopa and her husband were kicked out of their familial house. Without any financial support, they were struggling to find their grip on life as a young couple. Roopa worked as a daily wage labourer and her husband was an autorickshaw driver. With two toddlers, it was no ordinary struggle for them to sustain the family.
It's a sad reality that most of the women who walk into our training sessions endure such hardship. But we believe there is a way out. And Roopa discovered it!
We run a small video at the Buzz training sessions showing the stories of two fictional characters, Lakshmi and Saraswati, and how they handle their life situations. While Saraswati’s decisions and choices get her caught in a loop of poverty, Lakshmi handles her life wisely and prospers. This animated video turned out to be Roopa’s biggest inspiration.
“I was totally distressed. I didn’t know how to live through my struggles and lead my life. But the training gave me the confidence that yes, it is possible to turn my life around. I saw a new hope and I decided to make things happen”, says Roopa.
Roopa then started reducing her expenses and saving money. She took a loan for Rs. 35,000 from the local Self-Help Group and bought an auto rickshaw for her husband. Now that they owned the autorickshaw, they didn’t have to part with the earnings with anyone. As she learned to save and repay her loans, her financial troubles began to disappear. Soon she could take a small housing loan from the Gram Panchayat to build a house. This house is a milestone for them. From being pushed to the streets by the family to building their own house, life unravelled with brighter colours for this family.
Roopa is now an active Buzz Anchor, helping other women in her village overcome their challenges. Her courage and resolve are an inspiration for many.
Like Roopa, hundreds of women are breaking away from the hamster wheel of hardships in their lives. It’s not easy, but we believe it is possible. Many women have proven that it is, and that gives us the impetus to reach out to as many women as we can.