Suhaniya Maravi of the Tribal Community Becomes a 'Lakhpati Didi'

A success story

Bhopal. Through hard work and dedication, Mrs. Suhaniya Maravi of Kanharikala, a small village in the Bichhiya block of Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district, has transformed her own life and become an inspiration for the entire tribal community. Suhaniya, who once lived in hardship because of limited resources and a barren field known in the local dialect as 'barra', is now self-reliant and has become known as a 'Lakhpati Didi' (a woman earning at least one lakh rupees a year). In recognition of her outstanding work, she also had the opportunity to meet Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel.

The Livelihood Mission changed her fortunes, and a barren field opened a new path to income

Although Suhaniya Maravi's family owned 4 acres of land, farming was difficult because there was no irrigation. The family depended mainly on her husband Pramod Maravi's income as a truck driver, and they could barely make ends meet. In these circumstances, change came into Suhaniya's life after she joined the Ajeevika (Livelihood) Mission. She formed the Ganga Self-Help Group and took a loan of 40,000 rupees to buy a second-hand tractor. By renting out the tractor she created a new source of income and soon repaid the loan. She then prepared her barren field and began growing paddy, and with the help of the seasonal rains she started growing a second crop such as peas as well. As her confidence grew, Suhaniya took a loan of 1.35 lakh rupees to buy a threshing machine, and by renting it to other farmers she increased her income further. Today she owns farm machinery such as a tractor, a thresher and a loader, which have become the foundation of her financial security. She was recently also given a buffalo under the animal husbandry scheme, which is expected to boost her income even more.

Mrs. Maravi is helping thousands of women farmers become self-reliant

Recognising her leadership qualities, Suhaniya Maravi was made a director of the Baigachak Farmer Producer Organisation. She has brought together a large number of women farmers and taught them about crop production, marketing and running a business. Their families now earn a better income by selling crops such as Shri Anna millets (kodo and kutki) in an organised way.