Kalawati Khan

EMBROIDERY ARTISAN AT RANPHUL MAHIA MANDAL COOPERATIVE (RMM)

Kalawati has had to deal with many obstacles and complications since she married. She chose to marry a man from a different caste, which caused rifts in the families and a lack of cultural acceptance. The sudden death of her husband 5 years ago left her a single mother of 4, two sons and two daughters, the oldest of which was then only 9. Suddenly she was faced with dealing not only with her grief, but also the many challenges of keeping a home and raising a young family. Luckily her parents were supportive, and she moved back to live near them.

Finding a way to support herself and her children was a priority, but there were scant opportunities in her semi-rural area. Her sister-in-law Suman was a founding member of the RMM Cooperative, and she asked the managers if Kalawati could join the group. Members of the same family are not generally encouraged to work in the same group. However, special consideration was given in Kalawati's case.

It has been 2 years since she joined RMM, and she has been a hardworking and dedicated contributor. She has taken advantage of many programs which has helped her become more vocal.

RMM's location has some particular challenges. The area does not have the public transportation one might expect in a more developed town or city. Her sons are now in grades 8 and 9, and in addition to classes in school they have study groups and activities to attend. Walking to all their commitments eats up a lot of time and energy. Kalawati only studied until grade 10, and she is acutely aware of the importance of education. She wants to make sure she does her best to facilitate her children's progress. To this end, she started saving and recently paid Rs. 6000 for a secondhand cycle for her eldest son. This has been a huge help, and she is now saving to buy a bicycle for her second son.

"It is difficult to walk for everything," she explains. "I am really happy that I could save and afford to buy my son a cycle." Many women in the area also ride bicycles or bikes to cope with the distances and lack of buses. Unfortunately, Kalawati never learned to ride. She realizes, however, that being able to ride would really make her life easier. "The ladies in my group and my sons are all pushing me to learn how to ride, " she admits. "I have decided that I will start learning during the summer vacation when my son is not in school. Maybe then I will be ready to start saving for a third bicycle in the house!"

Ranphul Mahia Mandal Cooperative
Ranphul Mahia Mandal Cooperative means Forest of Flowers Women's Cooperative. The name is evocative of both beauty and hardship. This semi-rural area outside of the city is bursting with color and flowers, a lovely sight. But behind this sight was a less-pretty reality. Employment for women largely consisted of low-paying jobs dealing with agriculture and flower-picking. Some earned a pittance collecting wildflowers for middlemen. Women also worked seasonally in the fields, for low pay and under terrible conditions.

In 2014 MarketPlace was able to offer an alternative with fair wages and dignified work. The artisans received guidance in registering their group and obtaining business supplies. Fifteen women now continue their training in sewing and tailoring as they learn to run their own business. It is a close-knit group with the members checking on one another's welfare.