TNINS 

Hardworking women of Chhattisgarh are being provided better opportunities through multiactivity centers set up in Gauthans. And making the best of these opportunities and resources, women of the state are writing a new story of self-dependence. Among such talented women is Mrs. Sonmati Kushwaha, a member of Akash women self-help group, who works in the community farm operated in the Gauthan of Basantpur village of Balrampur-Ramanujganj district. Sonmati has earned Rs 7 lakh in the last 3 years by cultivating mushrooms. This has not only boosted her confidence, but has also helped her meet the financial needs of her family.

It may be noted that financial empowerment of women has been among the top priorities of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel. In the same sequence, gauthans are being developed as multiactivity centers, where women of self-help groups are being provided the guidance and training for livelihood enhancement.

Horticulture Departmet is not only encouraging the women groups in Balrampur-Ramanujganj district to produce mushroom, but is also providing the required training and guidance for the mushroom cultivation. Besides, the department is also providing seeds, polythene bags, chalk powder to the women groups for this work. As a result of these strategic efforts of the Department, the women of Akash women self-help group have become self-reliant by cultivating mushrooms, bee keeping and producing Kashmiri chillies in the community yard of Basantpur Gauthan.

Mrs. Sonmati Kushwaha further told that earlier she was dependent on simple farming work for livelihood, facing great difficulty to make the both ends meet. She had to face a lot of difficulties in raising the family, bearing the expenses of children's education. Under the ambitious Suraji Gram Yojana of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, gauthan was opened in Basantpur and was brought under Bihan. In this gauthan, Horticulture Department started providing the training in mushroom production, Kashmiri chilli cultivation, and beekeeping. 

Sonmati took a loan from the group and started mushroom cultivation at home

      Mrs. Sonmati Kushwaha told that she took a loan of Rs. 60 thousand from the group and started mushroom cultivation at home. In the initial phase itself, she earned an income of Rs. 2 lakh. Later, she also started the work of beekeeping and Kashmiri chili cultivation. She produced 60 kg of honey and earned Rs 70 thousand. Mrs. Kushwaha said that she had daily production of 20 to 30 kg of mushrooms, by selling which she has earned an income of Rs 7 lakh in the last 3 years. With this income, she is comfortably fulfilling the financial needs of her family.