Manamma is married with two school-going children. Her husband was a heavy drinker and did not work. The financial stress was very high because she had to figure out how to manage a household with no real source of income. Her house was bare and didn’t even have a door; there were no dishes or even a proper place to cook. Her husband would sometimes even sell her sarees to get money for drinking. But things are different now.
Manamma now makes around Rs 2500 a month and this is enabling her to forge a path towards greater personal independence. She is starting to take charge of her life in ways that were out of reach for her earlier. She shows more confidence now and is no longer the quiet and timid person who first walked into the center. She enjoys coming into work and it is clear that the job has given her a new sense of identity. She is now worried about her children and their future and has been seeking advice on how to create a home environment that’s healthy and not toxic for them. In short, Manamma has grown from passively accepting her lot in life to proactively planning for a better tomorrow.
