(With this piece, SHOUT! lengthens its association with SHARANA for the lives it is easing with a Social Entrepreneurship Program aimed at empowering women with small loans to set up lucrative businesses. There are too many hardworking and willing women out there who deserve to lead a more different and dignified existence…)
Jabir: Why are you segregating your stock into different baskets? Doesn’t it all go into the market stall together?!
Nala: I’m setting aside a share of fruits for Teresa. The pandemic has put her Bread-Omlette business out of business. The curfews, health and safety measures, shrinking crowds – haven’t quite helped.
Jabir: Hmm…I suppose having a bunch of fruits on her cart everyday will give her something to take home and put food on the table.
Nala: Yes, SHARANA’s offered her a relief kit and a loan to rebuild her livelihood. Amongst other major things, it will allow her to buy her quota of fruits for the day and pay the auto rickshaw fare to carry her straight to her fruit cart. Hopefully, she will make enough sales to feed both her boys.
Jabir: She’s had it so tough hasn’t she Nala? If it wasn’t for the alcohol, Savio would’ve still been around.
Nala: Her boys were so little; she was so young when she was widowed! It was terrifying!
Jabir: It’s such a scourge – the alcoholism – the most wretched way to throw it all away! When you think of just how many families suffer because of it…
Nala: Far too many Jabir, far too many. It’s been SHARANA’s primary focus: Restoring tormented lives. Think of what it’s doing for us women – giving us a start, awakening the entrepreneur within, making us more cognizant of our self-worth!
Jabir: It’s also about how much you help one another. More women must step up and step in for other women, like you are for Teresa! It’s probably the only way out of this uniquely traumatic time.
Nala: You’re right. We have to innovate with our business plans; adapt by weaving the new into the existing or come up with something entirely fresh. And to survive, we have to support! I’m wondering how many more Teresa’s could emerge from this…
Jabir: Would you share your stock with more fruit carts belonging to women-in-need across the city?
Nala: It’s something to think about. Perhaps, I could talk to SHARANA about it myself…
Jabir: I’m sure they’ll be able to help. Why, you will ALL see the “fruits of your labour”!
Nala: Sweet!
(You don’t want to miss more stories of and from SHARANA in another characte-gory titled, “A Revolution in Letters” on The SHOUT! Network.)
DISCLAIMER: The content on this website is merely an opinion and not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, organisation, company or individual. Nothing contained herein shall to any extent substitute for the independent investigations and sound judgment of the reader. While we have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the content contained herein, no warranty or guarantee, express or implied, is given with respect to the same. The SHOUT! Network is neither liable nor responsible to any person or entity for any errors or omissions, or for any offense caused from such content.
In addition to the above, thoughts and opinions change from time to time… we consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This website is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of the various topics running around our brains, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not be the same, or even similar, to those we may hold today.
Feel free to challenge us, disagree with us, or tell us we’re completely nuts in the comments section of each piece. The SHOUT! Network reserves the right to delete any comment for any reason whatsoever (abusive, profane, rude, or anonymous comments) – but do SHOUT! with us, if you will.
