In the remote village of Pakni of Gumla district, which houses around 40 families in an area of 194 square hectares, lives Ramjhari Devi. Ramjhari didi belongs to a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) called the Konva tribe. 

Ramjhari Didi shifted to this village 20 years ago when she got married. Back then, to make ends meet, Didi started working at the brick kilns while her husband, Maniram Dada sold kindling picked up from the forest.

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This two-room kaccha (mud & straw) house is where Didi lives with her husband and 3 children. All three children go to a nearby school in the village.

Three years ago, Didi’s tola was surveyed by a CDO of The/Nudge’s EUP program and based on the assessment survey, Ramjhari Didi was encouraged to enroll in the program. With the Livelihood grant she received under the program, Didi took up piggery as a livelihood option. She built a small low-cost pig shed and purchased a few goats, bulls, and piglets to start off. 

The TRP officials from the EUP training program also trained her in vaccinating the livestock.. Ever since then she actively volunteers to vaccinate livestock around the village,  work which she says makes her feel happy and proud. 

On joining the EUP program, Ramjhari Didi enrolled in an SHG group. The mandate of the group of developing a regular saving habit has helped Didi to not only streamline her finances but also to build upon her savings consistently. So far Didi has managed to save around Rs 1710. The amount though relatively small individually, has been built up through regular weekly savings of Rs 10 each and is a key part of building financial literacy.

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Adjacent to her house, Didi also owns 0.60-acre land. She utilizes this space to grow millet, pulses, and vegetables. By selling the farm produce she has been able to earn Rs 17500.

Ramjhari didi used her savings to purchase a Honda water pump, which has augmented the agricultural activities on her farm. By using this machine for irrigation, she has not only increased the productivity of her land but also contributed to the prosperity of her community. What’s even more inspiring is that she doesn’t keep the benefits to herself. Though she is the only one in the tola who owns a machine for irrigation, she generously shares it with her fellow villagers whenever they need it. 

Didi has now started to dream and aspire for more. She deeply cares about the education of her children. She has resolved to make sure that all her children graduate high school. Education, she says, is the means to prosperity.