Aruna is a homemaker from Chinchale village in Dahanu taluka roughly 140 Kms from Mumbai and had been living a quiet life with her family for the past 20 years. Her story is that of grit and determination as she wanted to make a mark for herself. Being “uneducated” constantly tormented her and she decided to appear for her class 10 exams at the age of 48 together with her daughter…. And both of them passed with flying colours this year. 

Buoyed with the success, she decided to go a step further – With support of MSRLM, she came together with like-minded women in her village to form a Self Help Group. With our training in beekeeping, Aruna and her group were able to set up a small micro business and step into the world of enterprises.

“Earlier, no one in my village knew us,” Aruna shares. “But today, because of our beekeeping business, people across the taluka recognize and respect us. This initiative has given me and my group a new identity and dignity.”

Her work has not only gained appreciation from the community but also received recognition from MSRLM officials, who praised her group during meetings.

“What makes me most proud,” Aruna says with a smile, “is when people speak well of us. We now believe that as our business grows, we will be able to spread our name and work across Maharashtra.”