Page 27 - EDII Report 127

Rupali Das ...Taking Digital Services to Rural Jorhat

Rupali Das, resident of Jorhat in Assam
completed her Higher Secondary in 2012 but
could not pursue further education due to
financial problem. Her father is a small
shopkeeper and her mother works as a daily
wage labourer. The income of her father was
never enough to sustain the family. Her
mother's ill health and expenditure on
medicines, further made matters difficult.

After Higher Secondary, Rupali started looking for a job to support her family but could not
find a suitable opening. Around this time, i.e. in 2020, an ESDP was announced by EDII at
Silikhabari, Titabor on Basic Computer Applications. Rupali says, “My sixth sense told me to
join the programme. I felt this would lead to something worthwhile. I enrolled for the
programme and my life changed.” Rupali developed domain and entrepreneurial skills.
With skills came about the confidence to be on her own. She had many from her community
to dissuade her as women normally did not work in a formal set up, leave alone being an
entrepreneur. They engaged themselves in menial tasks. Rupali stood against all resistance
and moved on with her plans.

She mobilized an amount of Rs. 1,20,000/- from an SHG & friends to start her own enterprise
specializing in basic computer applications. She renovated a room in front of her premises
and purchased a set of Computer, Printer and Camera. She started services for DTP, Online
Application & Data Entry and Photography in December 2020. Initially the business was slow
but after a couple of months, her business picked up. Today Rupali earns enough to take
care for her familial responsibilities, including her younger sister's education. She has even
employed two people.

Yasmeen Begum ...Identified Opportunity in Crisis

Yasmeen Begum Md. Ghudu Sab – a tenth
grader and a single woman – is a resident of
Manhalli town, Bidar district in Karnataka. She
lives in a family of 7 members. During the 6-
week ESDP, she learnt to prepare masks and
dress designs like khajuri dress, punjabi dress,
blouse stitching, vegetable bag, hand bag,
travel bag.

After completion of training programme, she
started a bag & mask making unit in June, 2020 with an investment of Rs. 30,000/-. She is
making various designs and types of bags & masks. She has been selling in local market &
weekly Bazar. She is earning around Rs.4600/- per month. Now she is able to help her family.

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