MP: Nari Shakti Vandan: A Flight of Aspirations—How Meenakshi Became Guna Village's First Daughter-in-Law to Fly in an Airplane
Mrs. Meenakshi Pharakte, hailing from the Bamori block of Guna district in Madhya Pradesh, has today become a source of inspiration for rural women. A member of the 'Rajmata' Self-Help Group and affiliated with the 'Shivaji Raj' CLF (Cluster Level Federation), Mrs. Meenakshi serves as the Center In-charge of the Advanced Livelihood Processing Center.
Her journey is not merely the success story of a single woman; rather, it stands as a living testament to self-confidence, struggle, and unwavering resolve. After joining the Self-Help Group, she received the opportunity to board an airplane to attend an AI Summit held in Delhi. She is the first daughter-in-law of her village to have achieved this distinction.
Raw materials are procured from Kisan Didis
Mrs. Meenakshi explains that at her processing center, raw materials are procured from local women farmers (referred to affectionately as Kisan Didis); these materials are then processed and transported to the market. The women associated with her group sell their products through various channels—sometimes by going door-to-door, sometimes at local shops, and at other times through the Mid-Day Meal programs operational in Anganwadis and schools.
However, this path was not an easy one. When Meenakshi and her fellow group members first ventured out to sell their products at local shops, people simply could not believe that women were capable of successfully engaging in marketing. Shopkeepers would often ask, "Will you be able to deliver the goods on time? Can you handle such a level of responsibility?"
Women were frequently met with skepticism
Being women, they were frequently met with skepticism. Often, they had to visit the same shop two to four times—repeatedly explaining their capabilities and assuring the shopkeepers that they, too, could supply high-quality goods in a timely manner. New challenges arose every day, yet Meenakshi and the women of her self-help group never gave up. They tirelessly reached out to every shop and every household, earning people's trust through the quality of their work.
Today, that hard work has paid off. Over the past two years, their unit has generated sales worth Rs 70 lakhs, with Meenakshi alone accounting for sales ranging from Rs 25 to 30 lakhs. The income, which previously stood at a mere Rs 5,000, has now surged to Rs 25,000 per month.
Marketing is not as difficult as we tend to imagine: Meenakshi
Mrs. Meenakshi observes that marketing is not as difficult as we tend to imagine; one simply needs to take that first step. Fear persists only until we gain firsthand experience; however, once we make a start, there is nothing we cannot achieve. Her accomplishments did not end there. Mrs. Meenakshi recently traveled by air for the very first time to attend an AI Summit held in Delhi. She proudly states that she is the first daughter-in-law in her village to have ever traveled by airplane.
Expressing her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Mrs. Meenakshi affirms that the platform she enjoys today is a direct result of their support. Her story serves as a testament that, with unwavering determination, women from rural backgrounds, too, can reach for the skies.