Bhubaneswar: Members of women self-help groups (SHGs) Wednesday stole the heart of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik when they shared their success stories at the Make in Odisha Conclave here.
Naveen was so moved by their stories that he gave a standing ovation to Jayanti Ekka, a tribal woman who is the president of the SHG federation of Sundargarh district.
Recently, Jayanti took a loan of Rs 80 lakh for starting a fly-ash brick project by taking raw material from a nearby ash pond. Jayanti’s SHG made rapid strides through the dedication and hard work of women and is now garnering business worth Rs 17 lakh per month.
She was invited to share her story with other women delegates in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Jayanti shared her stories of how she had united more than 15,000 women to produce chhatua (gram porridge) and helped gain the livelihood of so many women in the region.
Jayanti has also motivated a few other women to use innovation and the help of SHG to earn independently and not depend solely on their husband’s income.
PNN
