Joanna Gouda, wife of Jaga Gouda, aged – 36, resides at Baramunda in Bhubaneswar. It was hard for the family to even meet with their daily requirements. With the intervention of Mahashakti, Joanna formed a Self Help Group along with five other women and applied a loan of INR 25,000 in the year 2018 from MSF group company. With the money, she started the business of selling snacks on the streets of Bhubaneswar.
Her strong urge to earn for the family fuelled her motivation for entrepreneurship. Though it was tough for her to sustain in the competitive market of Bhubaneswar, she cemented her place as a go-to Vada-Aloo Chop vendor by not compromising on quality. She earned approx INR 15,000 a month with her business and in winter, the income increases because of surge in demand. She was using part of her income for raising her only son and manage his educational expenses. The other part, she used to repay the loan instalments. With this, she started to lead a comfortable life.
But the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, which led to complete lockdown took a toll on her life and income. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation was in Red Zone, and their business was shut down for about two months now. Meeting the family’s daily basic requirements has become a dream. They have not yet received any government support and are in a position where they are not able to feed themselves even twice a day.
Many such families are suffering due to this pandemic. Millions of households and their livelihoods are shattered. They don’t have any source of income. And we have no idea when & how they will get a chance to start with their businesses and revive their lives & livelihoods.
Mahashakti Foundation has started a campaign of “Response to Covid-19” where it is distributing Household Essential Kits to the underprivileged so as to help them survive the pandemic with the support of individual donors.
To donate kindly visit: www.mahashaktifoundation.in
