As a mum, you might have dreams and aspirations that you hope to fulfill. But for rural mothers, realising those goals may prove to be a challenge.
As a mother, you know just how tricky it is to balance meeting your child’s needs with the necessity to fulfil your own potential as a woman.
- For working mothers, the question is: How to have a successful career without neglecting my child?
- For mothers at home, the question is: How to get through the responsibilities of running a home without compromising patience, love, homework, and still not lose sight of who I am?
But, being a resourceful mother, you leverage every available option and facility, and YOU make it work.
The equation gets trickier for rural mothers. They lack our support systems like daycare. They have no appliances for laundry and chores. Often, despite labouring all day, they are unable to feed their children!
Milaap.com, a Singapore-based crowdfunding website, has been helping rural mothers tackle these problems. It connects people around the world to catalyse a support system that helps these mothers realise their potential. As a result, these mothers can earn and support their children’s needs.
Lalfakzuali and her looms – with one of the local mothers she employs
This March, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we bring you the inspiring story of one such rural mother: Lalfakzuali Chongthu from Mizoram, India. Left destitute, she persevered and built a whole new life for herself and her son. Today, she has also created livelihoods for other local mothers like her!
Read on for Lalfakzuali’s story of passion and determination on the next page.
The struggles of a single mother
When her husband rashly divorced her, Lalfakzuali lost all her possessions under Mizoram’s law. A single mother, she moved in with her parents. She wanted to build a strong future for herself and her child.
Lalfakzuali began weaving to earn a living
So she started weaving at the family loom to earn a living, while her father watched her son. A shawl or skirt, woven together with her sisters over a week, fetched Rs. 3000 (about 66 SGD) – enough to survive.
A bold decision
When her parents passed away, Lalfakzuali made a bold decision that would transform her life. Watch the video to see Lalfakzuali share that part of the story in her own words:
Today, Lalfakzuali earns enough to save for her son’s education. But she wants to do more. She plans to buy more looms and work on bulk orders, employing and empowering more local mothers.
Help more rural mothers realise their potential
Lalfakzuali’s sister hard at work.
As mothers, we understand what drives Lalfakzuali’s goals – her need to fulfill her potential. Yet, thousands like her lack the good fortune of an education or a support system.
This March, Milaap and theAsianparent is making a difference in the lives of mothers like Lalfakzuali. We are helping rural mothers in India to grow as entrepreneurs – and you can help too!
Here’s all you need to do:
- Click here to send an inspiring message to one rural woman entrepreneur. Upon submission of your message, $5 will be loaned on your behalf to better her business.
- Share this link with your friends and get them to empower these rural women entrepreneurs too!