Creating Luck Lines on the Palm
Mira Devi from Begusarai, Bihar, belonged to a traditional run-of-the-mill Indian family structure, with a bread-winning husband, school-going children, and a homemaker wife. Her husband was a palm reader in their local area, and it made them decent money where the children could continue going to school, and the family could be fed daily.
However, when COVID-19 arrived, palms disappeared, and so did Mira’s family income. As if that was not enough, her husband was left unable to move after a debilitating accident in the same year.
Mira had the support of her family, but it did not prevent finances from dwindling. At such a critical juncture, Mira Devi, with her unwavering will, decided to turn things around and take charge of her family’s destiny.
Begusurai was one of the many areas where the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, also known as JEEViKA, operates to empower the rural poor socially and economically. The Self-Help Group (SHG) of Mira Devi’s district, called Vishwas, translating to ‘trust’ in English, was her saving grace.
Trusting her capacity to take up the family’s responsibility, Mira loaned INR 20,000 from the SHG and opened a small grocery store at her house. It was not long before success and funds started coming in. In fact, Mira was able to take her husband to the city hospital for better treatment which helped him recover from his accident—he is now completely healed and is moving again!
For most, this would have been enough—everything lost had been recovered, and life had returned to how they knew it. But Mira, with her new-found confidence, knew she could do even more.
Mira had a fondness for bangles and knew there was a potential market in her area. Soon enough, she installed another store for trendy and beautifully-designed bangles, which lent her even more success. Both stores amount to a monthly income of INR 12,000- INR 15,000. Annually, Mira Devi contributes INR 1,80,000 to her household’s income.
From nothing to something to even more, Mira Devi created a livelihood for herself and her family, whose quality of life has significantly improved. Both kids attend better schools and have enrolled in a coaching institute in Patna for better education.
Mira Devi humbly accepts all the praise for her hard work and continues to express her gratitude towards JEEViKA for helping her build the foundation for her businesses. We don’t know if her palms showed this turn of fate in her life, but we are sure that none of it would have been possible without her endless patience, hard work, and persistence.
Aishwarya Bhatia, Sambodhi
