From despair to dignity: Sonadei’s story of hope
Women in Indian society are assigned complex, multiple roles, accompanied by expectations to fulfill them silently, often without protest and sometimes against their own wishes.
Even her husband’s house, where she lives after marriage, ceases to belong to her if she is separated from him or if he abandons her. This raises a difficult question: What truly belongs to her, and how is she expected to survive in society?
Meeting Sonadei: A life marked by struggle
During my time as a development executive with PRADAN (a civil society organisation), I met Sonadei, a Dhurwa tribal woman for the first time during an orientation session we were conducting to form Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the National Rural Livelihood Mission in Kakalgur village, a remote and Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected area of Darbha block in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.
Sonadei reaps the fruit of her cowpea crops. (Photo by Dhanamali Mahananda)
She stood at the back, quietly listening, and was the second-last woman to join the group that day after so much hesitation. At the time, she seemed weighed down by her circumstances. Her husband had left her three years earlier, and she had returned to her parental home with her three children, hoping for support.
But her brothers refused to take responsibility, leaving her with no one to rely on.
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Finding strength in herself and the SHG collective
Though she was emotionally shattered, she resolved to fight for her children’s future. To survive, she worked as a daily labourer in paddy fields and collected forest produce such as tamarind, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and incense to sell at the local market.
Each day brought new challenges, and meals were often humble – rice with leafy vegetables from the forest or pulses when she could afford them.
Still, she felt the sharp sting of loneliness, especially during emergencies when she lacked support, whether for medical expenses or something as simple as new clothes for her children.
As we worked with women like Sonadei to form SHGs, it became clear that these groups were not just financial tools but also powerful support networks. Through her SHG named Munga Phool, Sonadei attended training on savings, inter-loaning, and her basic rights.