As we delve deeper into India’s roots – the villages, we get an opportunity to meet people who have created extraordinary opportunities in their daily life. People in our villages live like big families, constantly supporting each other and striving every day to make their life better. One such community is Kalla, around 20 kilometers away from the Hassan Town, in Hassan District Karnataka.
Kalla is known for its ancient temples and lush landscapes. As the morning breaks, life seems fairy ordinary while children rush to school, their mothers hurry with lunch boxes and the men depart on bikes to the fields or the nearby town. However, for us it is home to a 42-year-old woman, rewriting her title from a homemaker to a businesswoman.
Gorour is a 1Bridge Advisor who had been a homemaker for almost two decades. The Indian rural women have limited employment options outside agriculture, they are employed as either laborers or are expected to completely devote themselves to their domestic responsibilities. One would imagine that this transition would be difficult, but the fearless Gorour says,” The concept is easy. Very beneficial for women with household responsibility because they decide their business hours and location. We want to work and we find a way”.
“The nearest town is Hassan and that is where people used to go to get their recharge and withdraw money, but now they don’t have to,” Gorour says.
A year back Gorour decided that she wanted to do more, despite her domestic responsibilities. Her husband, who works as a clerk in a nearby college, explained that both his children must be educated till degree, even if it means going to a private university. “I have seen girls and boys getting jobs directly from here and then they move to the cities for proper jobs, I want the same for my children,” says Satish, her husband. Supporting his vision for their children, Gorour decided that she could manage a “gig” like the one that 1Bridge offers and started her training.
During the training, Gorour was a curious student and asked all the right questions. She asked the instructor about expansion and to date has kept herself updated on the various programs run by 1 Bridge.
Her plan for 2020 is to expand her business into a cyber centre and include more services required by Kalla and nearby villages. Her vision is to include women who do their daily household work in the business so that they can expand their knowledge and skill.
The women in rural India are becoming agents of financial sustainability and change. Our female 1BAs are carving out their titles, away from what the society expects them to do, and most villagers are supporting them.
The humility and hardwork of our Advisors inspire us to create a better world for them & our rural consumers every day, and we feel honored to be associated with women like Gorour!
1 Bridge 