In Udaipur, Rajasthan, Suresh Kunwar owns a ‘Pav Bhaji cart’ which she takes around the locality with her husband Chandan Singh to earn her living.
When she looks back, her story was not a happy one. Her family was struggling to meet ends since her husband did not have a steady income. There were some days he would have work and others when he would come home empty handed. Suresh has a great passion to cook, her specialities being fried 'pakoras', Pav Bhaji and Pani puris. She thought of making a business out of her cooking skills along with her husband who was also willing to support her.
Having no assets, the couple faced challenges in securing a bank loan. One of her friends in the village introduced her to Belstar and a staff explained to her on how to procure a loan. In a short while, Suresh Kunwar was the leader of the Suresh Kunwar Dholi Gagari Joint Liability Group (JLG), created by Belstar.
For many rural women like her, to meet daily household expenses on a small income, these loans are lifesavers. An initial sum of INR 30,000 was used towards buying a ‘Pav Bhaji cart’. She and her husband started earning an average income of 500 per day by selling Pav Bhajis and Pani Puris.
Suresh Kunwar has a dream of moving from a small’ Pav Bhaji cart to a full-fledged shop, soon with further financial support from Belstar.
Belstar’s success stories paint the picture of how women have inspired many by beating impossible odds and succeeding on their own for their families, with a little help from microfinance.