Mrs. R. Krishnaveni, mother of two, is a microentrepreneur from Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district. Previously, Mrs. Krishnaveni was a homemaker, and the family lived on her husband’s income. When he lost his job due to illness, the family faced financial challenges. They could barely pay the rent or their children’s education.
One day, Mrs. Krishnaveni attended an ECLOF seminar for budding micro entrepreneurs. She became the group leader of ECLOF’s first solidarity group in Dalmiapuram, Imayam self-help group.
With a first loan of 8000 rupees from ECLOF, Mrs. Krishnaveni started her business,making paper cups and incense at home, selling them to nearby stores and through door-to-door sales. She then started “upcycling” old garments for her neighbors. With the income, she acquired a bicycle for distributing her products.
Over time, tailoring has become Mrs. Krishnaveni’s prime business. Combining her savings with loans from ECLOF, she was able to buy a sewing machine to improve her productivity.She bought a car to rent out for tourism and later upgraded to a passenger van. She employs many local women in her business.
Today, Mrs. Krishnaveni resides in her own home, partially funded by the government. Her son has completed management training and got a stable position at a paint company. The resolve anddiligence of Mrs. Krishnaveni demonstrate that, in spite of challenges, you can succeed as an entrepreneur by making the best use of the financial resources that are available.
If there is a will, there’s a way!
