Shabnam started her candle venture in 2018 after she was motivated and trained to do something different by her self-help group.
A differently-abled woman from Gaya, Bihar, is inspiring many by her efforts to make herself self-reliant and to support other women in achieving financial independence. Shabnam Parveen is in the candle-making business and produces designer as well as regular candles. Shabnam started her candle venture in 2018 after she was motivated and trained to do something different by her self-help group. Since then, Shabnam has established stability in business. “I have been doing this work since 2018. Earlier, I used to give home tuitions to students to earn bread. However, the self-help group inspired me to do something different. They trained us in making different candles,” Parveen told news agency ANI.
She got her training in candle-making from the Rural Self-employment Training Institutes (RSETI). It is an initiative by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and provides the necessary infrastructure to impart skill and knowledge.
She took a loan of Rs 40,000 to begin it all but now she is self-dependent. “With the help and support of my family, I manage to earn around Rs 6 lakh annually. If I get support from the government, I will be able to expand this business and financially help at least 25 women,” she added.
Shabnam, with the help of her venture, provides employment to women who are looking to become self-employed. She trains them and helps them stand on their feet. During the time when the pandemic was at its peak, the entrepreneur also made masks for rural regions to help them cope up with the COVID-19 safety norms.
In September, Shabnam received with the ‘Hunarbaaz Award’ in the field of self-employment. It was given to her by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj for her noble initiative and hard work. She became the first woman from Bihar to receive this award.
Article Credit: news18