‘I had no connection with anyone outside my village. And now I get to meet new people every day.’ Basanti shared with a smile on her face. She used to teach kids in a small school in Hamipur until the school was shut down. She spent a few years doing odd jobs. It was in 2016 that she was introduced to Udaipur Urja Initiatives and its Improved Cookstoves project – a clean cooking solution. ‘I was selected from over 80 other job applicants for this job.’ She shared proudly. She started as a monitor with close to 300 households under her supervision. With determination and hard-work, she has risen to the role of a field coordinator who now manages 24 women monitors. Over the years, Basanti, along with other coordinators, has also learned to operate smartphones, computers and even use them to collect data & send emails. ‘Where we are from, a woman’s entire life revolves around a chulha (cookstove). She spends hours collecting wood, sitting around earthen stoves and cooking 3 meals a day. Her eyes burn from all the smoke.’ Basanti shared. ‘I have been able to form a connection with women from our villages because of the same chulhas. We tell them about the benefits of using the Cookstoves.’ Basanti explains. ‘By associating with Udaipur Urja, we have been able to help several women from our villages become entrepreneurs,’ Basanti shared with a sense of fulfilment.
Another interesting story is of Babulal from Magwas. He is the breadwinner for a family of 6, who travels to another village every day for work. In his role as a field coordinator, he manages 18 women entrepreneurs. He talked about the impact he has witnessed through the ‘Improved Cookstoves’ project. ‘Earlier, women were restricted to their homes. But now as monitors for Udaipur Urja, they are venturing out to sell products in different villages. Their families now have an alternate income source.’ He talked about his own experience with working with Udaipur Urja, ‘When I started, I was unsure if I would be able to do this job.’ ‘But, as I communicated with more people, & facilitated more meetings – my fear subsided & confidence increased.’ He shared with a confident smile, adding that he has also learned to operate technology like smartphones through this job.
In another inspiring story was Sheela, who came from a family of 8. After acquiring her degree, she did not want to stay at home and waste her education. She started with Udaipur Urja as a coordinator for the Kherwada block and now, 5 years later, she manages 4 monitors and also oversees office administration, as well as meetings. Conducting monthly meetings for all monitors is an important part of a coordinator’s job, ‘We collect data from the monitors – number of products they have sold, how they are being used, the families they are working with across the villages assigned to them.’ More so than that, these meetings are an opportunity to connect with many women at a more personal level. Not only do these women have to go out and make sales, but they also have to battle gender biases daily. Sheela also explains how at times when some families forbid women from working, meetings are called in the village to implore them to see the benefits of encouraging women to work. The Improved Cookstoves project has not only engaged over 250 women entrepreneurs but has also improved the living conditions of over 40,000 households across villages in Udaipur. The collective efforts of the Udaipur Urja team are producing great results. These stories of Basanti, Babulal & Sheela are just a few of the many successes that have emerged from Udaipur Urja’s socially driven initiatives.
