Pana Devi: From Child Bride to Sanitary Pad Entrepreneur Inspiring Rajasthan

From a young age, Pana Devi overcame struggles, took the hardships and struggles head on and went to set up an entrepreneurial venture on her own, which is rightly hogging the spotlight.

Pana Devi, who couldn't afford studies due to the family's financial condition, is running a successful sanitary napkin-making unit and has also been personally applauded by President Droupadi Murmu.

A resident of Aspalsar village, 55 kilometres from Churu district, she studied till grade five and was married at the age of 12. Two years after marriage, she moved to her in-laws' home and started her family. At a very tender age, a lot of responsibilities fell on her shoulders.

She worked as a labourer under the MNREGA, tilling the soil.

At the insistence of her father, she pursued education after marriage and studied till Class 8 at the Anganwadi centre. She couldn't get employment in Anganwadi due to her disability.

In 2016, an association with Rajivika laid the foundation of transformation in her life. Under Rajivika, she started receiving an honorarium of Rs 2,250, which she gathered and, further taking a small bank loan, started her enterprise.

Side by side, she also pursued studies and went on to complete her graduation.

Her big opportunity came when she was offered the opportunity to become a 'methas' in NREGA.

Taking small loans from Rajivika, she began manufacturing sanitary napkins. Initially, the work was done using a small machine, but it expanded over time. The District Collector in Siddharth Siyag provided Pana Devi with a larger sanitary napkin machine from his budget. Today, around 20 women work together in her unit.

Pana Devi, however, hasn't limited herself to just herself. She is inspiring the women of her village to pursue education. She has inspired nearly 40 women to pursue education.

She has trained hundreds of women associated with Rajivika in seven to eight districts. She has also received various trainings and is passing on the benefits to other women. Her efforts have led to many women gaining employment in various fields.

Her achievements also earned her an opportunity to meet President Droupadi Murmu, which she considers the proudest moment of her life.

Pana Devi says that struggle has been with her since the beginning of her life, but now she is never afraid of it; rather, it has given her the strength to move forward.

Priyanka Chaudhary and Manju, officials with Rajasthan Rural Development, say that Pana Devi's story teaches us that no matter how great the struggle, if courage and hard work are combined, success is certain.

- IANS