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Rama Devi, 33

Scojo Vision Entrepreneur
Ramreddipalli village, Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India

"My husband is a farmer in the heavily drought affected region of Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh. His paddy and castor farming has yielded little income over the last few years. Moreover, we had taken a bank loan of Rupees 30,000 ($750) in the hope of reviving our farming, and that has come to naught. I started working under severe pressure of sustaining the family and repaying the loan.

Initially, I started stitching clothes for neighbors and other people in the village. When Hindustan Level (Unilever plc) started their rural marketing campaign a few years ago, I joined them as a sales person running promotional campaigns in villages in our region. Eventually, I quit that job to concentrate on my tailoring business. I was earning Rupees 3000 ($75) per month stitching clothes.

When Scojo was looking for Visual Entrepreneurs in our region, they contacted Hindustan Lever, who suggested my name. The training manager contacted me. I got interested in the opportunity and took it up.

After joining Scojo, our financial situation has improved considerably. I earn Rupees 5000-7000 ($125-$175) every month selling eye glasses. I have continued to stitch part-time which gives us an extra Rupees 2000 ($50) per month.

I wake up every morning at 4 am. I prepare food for the family, wake up the children, and prepare them for school. I leave the house at 6 a.m. because I want to meet the villagers before they leave for work. We have a dress code for women workers. We wear sky blue colored aprons when we are on field visits. It attracts a lot of attention.

I find this job very satisfying. I help people who have problems with their vision. Most often, they do not even know that they have a problem and continue to live in pain. When I explain my mission, I find people warming up to me. Most are very welcoming and thankful to me. By a small gesture, I am able to alleviate their pain. I am able to refer many of them to good eye hospitals. I think this work earns me a lot of respect.

My husband now supports my work whole-heartedly. He has bought a motorcycle and whenever possible he drives me to the villages. When he is on the field, I take the bus to work.

My life has changed considerably since I started working for Scojo. Earlier, we were barely making our ends meet. Now, we live comfortably; Scojo has helped us repay part of the interest on our loan, and we hope to be debt free some time in the future. We can support our children's education with books and other necessities, and to save money for their future. I would want our children to have a better life than ours. I hope they have better careers and do well."

S.K. Mahmood, 43

Roadside tailor
Vemulanarva village, Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India

"I lost my Father when I was just 5 years old. My mother worked in the fields to raise me. Due to our financial situation, I never went to school. I started working with my mother in the fields in my childhood. Our neighbor, who I fondly called Chhote Bhai, taught me the art of stitching. I started stitching clothes when I was 15 years old. I have stayed in this trade ever since.