Prem Bai Vishwakarma, a 38-year-old resident of village Imaliya-Babaliya in Raisen district has proved that age is no bar when it comes to education if one has the spirit to do something big.
Seeing Prem Bai’s strong will to pursue education, DPIP team and her daughter Sushri Ram Sakhi motivated Prem Bai, who passed Class XII exam along with her daughter this year. Ram Sakhi passed exam in biology faculty and Prem Bai in arts faculty.
Prem Bai is a member of Saraswati self-help group constituted at village Imaliya-Babaliya under DPIP Project. Initially, she started sewing work with the help of the project and is now striving to increase her income by installing a flour mill through bank linkage. Her daughter Ram Sakhi is also working as book-keeper for maintaining accounts of self-help groups for last about 3 years, apart from pursuing education. She is also getting regular honorarium. Raisen District Project Manager SD Khare informed that daughters of members of SHGs at village Imaliya-Babaliya and other villages are also working as book-keepers as well as Gram Sakhis. Some of them are pursuing education up to post-graduaton.
It is noteworthy that apart from socio-economic development and empowerment of women, works towards meeting social concerns are also being undertaken by District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP). Under it, works pertaining to education, awareness, construction of toilets under Maryada Abhiyan, installation of smokeless chulhas, plantation, participation of women in Gram Sabhas and other welfare works are being ensured.