While Reena lived with locomotor disability, her husband had an intellectual disability. This naturally left Reena as the sole breadwinner.
She had to support them both while already being at a disadvantage due to her physical disability. But she had no other choice. The very thought of tomorrow made her nervous.
Upon the commencement of the Parivartan Programme at her village, she dared to hope for a slightly brighter future. She immediately noticed how the programme staff worked unremittingly towards the sustainable livelihood of persons with disabilities.
When they approached her in 2018, she readily jumped at the opportunity. She soon learnt about disability rights and their entitlements. In terms of generating a livelihood, she initially attended the training classes on scientific goat rearing techniques and organic farming. While with organic farming, she could only save input costs (up to 30%), goat rearing helped her earn a surplus that can be used for fulfilling the dreams of her family members.
Today she is a proud owner of six goats and the secretary of the inclusive Self-Help Group. Reena happily sighs, “My life is beautiful”.
