If there is a will, there is a way. A student in the USA, Yangmali Sahadev Rai of Bhojpur had a passion for social service and he has already taken the initiative, albeit in a small scale, to help the needy.
Rai, 23, came to know about Clinton Global Initiative while in the US in 2012 and applied for funding.
In March 2013, he beat other 150 semi-finalists and bagged the seed money USD 9,000, which is awarded to the students who broach innovative solutions to pressing social problems.
The student-cum-activist has now given employment to four single mothers from the remote Kot Village of Bhojpur, his home district.
The four Rai women -- namely Pramila, Ganga, Sharmila and Sangita – have hired a piece of land where they are full-time workers. They grow and sell vegetables in the local market. A share of the surplus income from the farming is donated to the local Kot School where most of the village children are enrolled.
These women receive five thousand rupees per month. Every month twenty one thousand rupees is sent from Yang-ward foundation, US to Bhojpur Headquarters for these women. The extra one thousand is for miscellaneous use such as buying seeds and other agricultural tools. The project will be self-sustaining in two years.
The work is supervised by Sangeeta Rai, one of the four working women, and the management team of Kot School.
Locals say it is an ideal project for the empowerment of women who are struggling for survival in society.
Says local politician Nanda Mani Rai: "This project is a very good example of women empowerment. I appreciate the fact that the responsibilities are also handed over to the women. "
On top of that, local resources are used to generate revenues and a share of the surplus is contributed for the betterment of the community. "Whatever amount of money is generated circulates among the community members," says the politician.
The initiative of the young student has paid off. The four women are now leading an empowered life. "The women have become 'somebody' from 'nobody'. And I am happy with my work," says Yangmali Sahadev Rai.
Rai is positive about his project and plans to scale it up gradually. The project will be self-sustaining in two years, and he wants to give employment to more women who are in the difficult financial conditions.
Kot is a remote village of Bhojpur district. It is a nine-hour walk from the district headquarters and life is harsh. It is yet to be seen how Rai achieves his lofty goals.
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