They say never demotivate anyone because a person might not give his best today but, his abilities may make the future brighter for him tomorrow. The saying reminds us of the women who have been empowered by social activist Chetna Gala Sinha.

After marrying a farmer leader from a village called Mhaswad, Chetna started staying there. And after a few years of residing in the village, she came across Kanta Bai. She saw that the bank refused to open her a savings account as she wanted to save a very minimal amount. And that’s when an idea struck Chetna which has today made her one of the most inspirational women.

Chetna decided to open a bank for the women residing in the village but it was quite difficult to do so as they were not educated. However, their determination was extremely strong. While talking about it, Chetna told Forbes India: “They told me they may not be able to read and write but they were good with numbers. There came my second learning. Literacy is not just about reading and writing.”

After many hurdles, Mahila Sahakari Bank came into inception. It became the first bank in India run by the rural women to receive a cooperative license from the Reserve Bank of India.

The bank was set up in 1996 with a working capital of Rs 7,08,000 which was raised from its 1335 members. It has reached out to more than 3,10,000 women out of which 84,000 are borrowers as reported by Forbes India.

Chetna is even the founder and president of Mann Deshi Foundation which conducts financial literacy classes where women are taught about banking. And not only that, it also runs a local radio station, organizes cattle camps, and also organizes sports talent hunts. It even builds dams to deal with droughts.

Chetna’s desire to empower the women in Mhaswad has today made their life brighter. And we hope that she reaches out to more such women who have the ability to stand out. 

Image Courtesy: Xynteo