Itarsi, March 8 : In the village of Jalikheda, near Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram district, resides Shanti Bai, a woman whose journey from hardship to empowerment is an inspiring testament to resilience and determination.

Deserted by her husband shortly after marriage, she faced immense challenges, single-handedly raising her children while struggling to make ends meet. To survive, she collected non-timber forest produce and firewood, walking miles to sell them at the market. However, her earnings were barely sufficient to sustain her family.

Today, Shanti Bai holds the prestigious positions of Vice President of Kesla Poultry Sahkarita (KPS) and Director of the Madhya Pradesh Women Poultry Cooperative Limited (MPWPCL).

Despite having no formal education, she plays a pivotal role in managing key operations within the company. MPWPCL has sales of Rs 415 crore.

In 2002, a turning point came when she joined the Kesla Poultry Society, starting with a modest flock of 300 birds. Her role involved rearing chicks and supplying them to poultry farms. Her first income of Rs 1,800 filled her with joy -- she recalls how she had never held Rs 1,000 in one instance before while speaking to IANS.

As the sole provider for her four daughters, financial independence was critical. In 2007, she secured a Rs 25,000 loan from the State Bank of India, expanding her poultry business to 600 birds. Later, with a Rs 15,000 loan from an NGO, she increased her capacity to 900 birds. This steady income transformed her life.

She moved from a makeshift shanty to a well-constructed house, where she now lives with her daughter and granddaughter, who is currently training at an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Itarsi.

KPS now boasts 1,235 women members, all engaged in poultry farming. She frequently travels across the state and beyond, inspiring other women to take charge of their financial futures.

The impact of these cooperatives is remarkable -- Kesla Poultry Sahkarita (KPS) alone has an annual turnover of Rs 45 crore. MPWPCL, its parent organisation, generates nearly Rs 415 crore in revenue with its associated poultry societies in MP.

'She is a key figure in KPS and plays a vital role in shaping strategic decisions for MPWPCL,' says Dr HK Deka, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the National Smallholder Poultry Development Trust (NSPDT).

NSPDT supports over 17,000 tribal women poultry farmers across five Indian states -- Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, and Maharashtra -- through 34 poultry societies like KPS.

Originally established in 1993, KPS was formally registered on June 11, 2001, under the Mutually Aided Co-operatives Act (MACS). Today, it spans 32 villages across Hoshangabad and Betul districts.

'In the 2023'24 fiscal year, MPWPCL and its affiliated cooperatives recorded Rs 415 crore in sales, with a profit exceeding Rs 13 crore for the members,' Deka said.

The organisation has launched its own brand, 'Suktawa Chicken', which is rapidly gaining recognition across Madhya Pradesh and is poised for further expansion.

The cooperative's commitment to hygiene, quality, and sustainable poultry farming has solidified its reputation, and its success is largely driven by women like Shanti Bai -- a true pioneer of rural entrepreneurship. Her story is a powerful testament to how collective entrepreneurship and women's empowerment can drive economic transformation in rural India.

/IANS