From Financial Hardship to a Thriving Business
As a young child, Hiranmayi’s parents relied heavily on her to provide money to quench their alcohol addiction. And as time went on, she took on the responsibility of caring for her siblings when her parents’ health declined due to their poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption.
Eventually, Hiranmayi got married and was blessed with two children. She worked hard as a daily wage earner to provide for her family financially. Using her hard-earned money while visiting local shops gathering the essentials for her family, she knew she was being cheated out of some of her money. Unfortunately, she was unable to defend herself, accepting that this was her fate.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hiranmayi hardly had any savings to fall back on. Her family underwent many financial hardships, causing Hiranmayi’s health to decline from the difficulties and heavy workload caring for her family.
To make matters worse, Hiranmayi suddenly lived in a cashless society. Her illiteracy affected her ability to make online transactions – making her feel even more helpless and vulnerable.
But, these difficult challenges prompted her to seek out literacy skills and employment opportunities by joining the local Adult Literacy Class. As she regularly attended, it seemed every lesson and topic impacted her life, and within a few months, she had gained the ability to read, write, and do simple math.
In the Adult Literacy Class, Hiranmayi was able to attend a special training on health and hygiene. After attending this training, she started caring about her diet, keeping her house clean, washing her clothes, taking a bath regularly, and washing her hands before cooking and eating. She began to cook a variety of vegetables to provide a balanced diet for her family.
Hiranmayi also had the opportunity to attend an additional training that taught her entrepreneurial skills. She learned to make products that she could sell, like candles, hand wash, shampoo, jams, cleaning powders, pain balm, and air fresheners.
Following this special training, Hiranmayi began making some of these products at home and selling them in the local market. This has changed her mindset on money, and she is now able to build her savings – she even opened a savings account!
During the Literacy Class, Hiranmayi was fortunate to hear stories from the Bible on multiple occasions. Even though she was deeply attached to her deities, she was touched by the Bible stories and began to seriously seek Jesus. She now prays for her family and attends the weekly worship service but has not received Jesus as her Savior.
Pray that God would continue moving Hiranmayi’s heart to leave her deities and find salvation in Him. Also, pray that her business will continue to succeed and that she will be able to expand it in the coming months.
