Greetings from Grameen Foundation for Social Impact!

As the monsoon rains refresh the fields of East and West Godavari, women Agripreneurs (AEs) are bringing a new kind of growth digital financial services to their villages.

In June 2025, the GROW team with Paynearby, trained 43 AEs on using L1 devices to offer vital banking services like cash withdrawals, money transfers, and bill payments right where farmers live. This means no more long trips to banks for basic services, especially in remote areas.

One inspiring story is of Seelaboyina Lakshmi Durga from Tupakulagudem, who runs a cashew business. Though monsoon slows her sales, she earns up to INR 7,000 a month during peak times, showing grit and steady growth.

Beyond digital services, GROW is helping AEs set up input centers, Custom Hiring Centres, and demo plots, while seeking financial support to overcome working capital challenges.

With fresh rains and fresh skills, these women are sowing the seeds for stronger, self-reliant rural communities.

During one of our regular field visits to Thimmanapalem village in East Godavari, our GROW team (RM, Financial Linkage Expert & LRP) met Mariyam, an Agripreneur making millet powder and biscuits using produce from local smallholder farmers.

As we helped her with MSME certification paperwork, we discovered she wanted to sell in local marts but couldn’t, she didn’t have an FSSAI license. Seeing her potential, we immediately stepped in, helped her gather the documents, and got the FSSAI process rolling.

Today, Mariyam proudly sells her products in local marts. Her income has grown from ₹1000 to ₹3000 and so has her confidence.

With one license and the right support at the right time, Mariyam’s small village business found a real place in the local market.

– Team GROW

In June, a quiet yet powerful shift took place across villages in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal under the MANDI-II project. For years, women farmers had carried the weight of agriculture on their shoulders, performing backbreaking labor with little to ease their burden. That began to change with the introduction of women-friendly technologies (WFTs), such as pedal-operated paddy threshers, solar- and battery- operated sprayers, seed treatment drums, and mini-irrigation kits. Under the Catalyst Awards, 16 FPOs distributed these WFTs to 32 Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The technologies not only made farm work easier and faster, but also opened new income opportunities, as many SHGs began renting them out. This boosted the women’s confidence and sense of self-worth.

Under the same initiative, 35 FPOs received Catalyst Awards to turn their visions into reality, strengthening farming communities by scaling up their business plans and operations. Fourteen of these FPOs used the awards to purchase cold storage units, refrigerated vans, DSR machines, and more. These investments reduced post-harvest losses and enabled women to take on more prominent roles in the agri-value chain.

Around 400 underprivileged women farmers, who previously had limited access to quality seeds, received improved seed varieties through a special scheme under ICAR-IIVR, bringing hope for better harvests and brighter days ahead.

Behind these numbers are stories of small victories that lead to big change: reduced workloads, time saved, improved yields, and women farmers stepping into leadership roles like never before. The transformation may be quiet, but it is steady and growing stronger every day.

It was 42 degrees in rural Uttar Pradesh. Dust clung to the air as Anupama Verma, District Project Manager (MANDI-II), navigated bumpy village roads. Her destination was a remote Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) lay 50 kilometers away, but it might as well have been a hundred in that scorching heat.

Her mission? To ensure that the support meant for women farmers had actually translated into action on the ground.

“I often said the heat was nothing compared to the resistance we faced in the field,” Anupama later recalled with a wry smile.

In June, Anupama had made multiple field visits across Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The goal was to see how the FPOs who had won Catalyst Awards under MANDI-II were deploying the award monies.

At one FPO, she found that the FPOs were waiting for the delivery of women-friendly tools they had ordered using the award. At another, the equipment had been procured, but was lying unused as the women were yet to be trained. And in many places, she had to navigate layers of hesitation, logistical delays, and even misplaced paperwork as FPOs prioritized action to filing.

“It wasn’t just about providing resources,” Anupama explained. “It was about pushing through operational bottlenecks, building trust, and helping FPOs make those small, practical decisions that actually move things forward.”

She shifted her approach. Instead of enforcing deadlines, she began co-creating action plans with FPO teams, and ensured women SHG members were involved from the start. By June end, women were using pedal threshers, solar sprayers, and irrigation tools that made farming easier and faster. SHGs began renting out these tools, turning them into extra income. With patience and teamwork, the hard work was paying off, showing that with the right support, women farmers can truly change the game.

In the modest town of Bhandara, lives Chahat Kailash Zadekar, an 11th-grade student who recently scored an impressive 83% in her 10th board exams from Nutan Kanya School. She is an ambitious girl who’s achievements go far beyond academics.

After losing her father at a young age, Chahat was raised by her single mother, a woman of quiet strength who became her anchor. Despite financial challenges, Chahat has grown into a determined, multi-talented young woman. She balances her studies with state-level netball training, dreams of national championships, and most of all, aspires to become an IPS officer.

• She’s already taking steps toward that goal, seeking guidance through the Lakshyavati program and actively engaging with our Grameen Block Coordinator to prepare for the Police Academy.
• But Chahat is more than just a student or athlete. She’s an artist, a caring daughter, and a role model in her community, who’s inspiring other girls to believe in their potential.

During our home visits, coordinators Smita and Arpana visited 30 girls across Nagpur and Bhandara. Among them, Chahat’s story stood out as a powerful reminder that with resilience and the right support, even the biggest dreams can begin in the smallest corners.

Chahat’s journey is just beginning, but her courage is already changing lives.

Anjali's Inspiring Journey with Lakshyavati