Leishangthem Bala Devi
- Success Stories from North-East for Women Empowerment -

PIB Feature *

Leishangthem Bala Devi

NEDFi is also facilitating marketing support to the artisans of NER through exhibition participation and its various showrooms at Guwahati & Khetri in Assam, Imphal in Manipur, Aizwal in Mizoram, Namchi in Sikkim and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The showrooms at Guwahati, Khetri and Aizwal are under NEDFi's direct CSR support and the rest of the showrooms are setup in collaboration with various established NGOs/Societies of the locality.

1. Name: Leishangthem Bala Devi
Address: Khurai Konsam Leikai, Imphal East
Activity: Kauna (water reed) products making

Leishangthem Bala Devi, a potential handicraft artisan producing various "kauna" (water reed) products. She is a hardworking woman aged 50 years and mother of a son.

She has experienced many struggles in life before she became one of Chanura's clients. She used to engage herself in weaving as her livelihood activity. As she weaved simple and ordinary clothes, she could not make much profit out of it.

Moreover, her husband used to work as a mason and his income was not regular. It was difficult for them to meet their daily household requirement and even her son's educational expenses added to their suffering.

Like other parents, Bala wished her son to get proper and quality education. She felt depressed as she could not afford her only child good education nor she could not upgrade her living standard.

Until one fine day, one of her locality's sisters introduced her to Chanura Microfin Manipur and when she learned more about Chanura, she felt that Chanura is the real mentor of poor and needy people and she has decided to join Chanura.

After, joining Chanura she continued her weaving activity for some duration. Thereafter, she started to try her hand on kauna products, the technique she learned from her ancestors. She started making kauna mat, as kauna mat is one of the indigenous handicraft products in the region which every house required.

Day by day, her product became popular and the demand increased. Later, she added different other products, like kauna- bags, baskets, files, vase, etc. after attending Livelihood Skill Training Program of Chanura. Now, she is able to earn more income and profit.

With subsequent cycles of Chanura's support, her business on Kauna products is flourishing. She is able to extend her house veranda as her work shed. Now, she is able to afford her son's education in a good and popular school.

She also expressed, "With Chanura's financial support and various trainings my business grew, my management skill improved and today, my family is able to own an auto-rickshaw, giving additional income, as my husband uses to earn as a public carrier".

She wholeheartedly thanks Chanura for helping her to overcome all her life's challenges and lead a new, better lifestyle.