Nine months pregnant, Arefa froze at the face of a tragedy. Her husband succumbed to an accident. Emotional trauma on one side, Arefa got gripped by the feeling that she was now at the mercy of her family. She became totally dependent on her sister and sister’s family – confining herself to a withdrawn life.
This was ten years ago. Today, three years after attending Buzz India’s training, you’ll not recognize that this was the same Arefa who wouldn’t step out of her house. Arefa is a Buzz Gelathi today, a community leader who is helping women like her to seek and bring about prosperity in their own lives.
The Buzz training shook Arefa out of her long years of disheartened living. She started looking at her own life from a different perspective. She wanted to reclaim all those years that she let pass by without actually living it. It was time to start living again.
Our trainer had given Arefa details about the Canara Bank skills development course that she could try. She went, enquired and enrolled herself to a tailoring course. Soon she started tailoring at her home. Soon she picked up quilling and embroidery skills. She made designer bangles too. She started saving money, started an informal chit fund along with 20 other women.
A busy woman, energetic and active in both personal and social life, Arefa today imbues confidence in others. “Whatever happens in life, we have to face it with courage”, these were the words that Arefa shared with Navya, our Gelathi Facilitator. Navya came back to the office and said, “I did not have to encourage her or motivate her, she filled me with positivity.”
(Based on the request of the customer we have changed the name of the customer and we’re not sharing her photograph.)