“We are a family of 6. We were living in Badlapur near Mumbai and earning well. The pandemic was harsh for us. It took away our jobs. All of us had to return to our native place. My husband and I were working hard to make ends meet and provide quality education to our children through agricultural labour work. I was looking for an additional source of income but did not get any worthwhile opportunities. I found a way when Habitat’s project started in our village. We had formed the Kranti Jyoti Self-Help Group (SHG) for monthly savings, but we were just saving INR 100 per month. Habitat's team trained us in paper-plate making. It was new for us but the training was in-depth and helped us understand every aspect from start to finish,” says Suvarna Mane from Vida located in Beed district in Maharashtra.

She further adds, “COVID-19 snatched our livelihood and pushed us into a financial crisis. Habitat gave us an opportunity to come out of that crisis."