#SheEmpowers

Sebati Samal is a role model amongst her peers, setting an example, of not allowing trying times to dictate her future rather she took it up as a challenge to grow and be self-reliant.

Sebati was widowed at the age of 38 years. A mother of two daughters and a son, she was devastated, emotionally and financially. Sebati tried mushroom cultivation with her sister-in-law but the venture failed due to lack of knowledge and technical support.

“Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) has been an amazing catalyst by enabling me to achieve a new identity and financial independence through mushroom cultivation,” says Smt. Sebati Samal, from the village of Bandalo in Banipada Gram Panchayat (GP), Block Tangi-Choudwar, Cuttack district.

In 2021, she joined a Self Help Group under Project Unnati, wherein BIPF imparted training on mushroom cultivation, structured credit, banking know-how and requisite business support. Within a short span of time, Sebati excelled at the enterprising initiative. Now, she has a regular flow of income, her children are back in school, and she can take and repay loans as needed to run her business.

After seeing the impactful outcome, many of the local women have shown interest to learn the way towards atma-nirbharta (self-independence).

Project Unnati is a program started by Ms Shaifalika Panda, a G20 EMPOWER Advocate, through her foundation BIPF. The project operates as an integrated capacity-building initiative for women in rural and tribal areas, employing the self-help group (SHG) approach for their socio-economic empowerment. The core objective of Unnati is to empower women at grassroots to participate in the mainstream of development and give them a voice in the decision-making process.