Sanghmitra Chavan

Age: 45 years

Place: Kanhol, Murbad, Thane

Sanghamitra, a mid-aged widow with her seven family members was fighting a grave economic crisis after the death of her husband Santosh due to COVID-19 infection in May 2021. Today, she is known as an independent female entrepreneur who has started a grocery shop in her locality. Her entrepreneur journey started with support from STAPI when a country-wide lockdown was imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she lost her job as an account assistant at Shivbhojan Kendra. Now, she is not only successfully running her business with the support of her sister-in-law Nirmala and her daughter Snehal but also continues to provide her accounting service to the Shivbhojan Kendra.

Prior to 2022, when Samgamitra was earning Rs. 3000 as monthly remuneration from the Shivbhojan Kendra, faced an enormous challenge to take care of her family. Even though she lost one of her daughters due to sickle cell disease was a matter of grave concern. It was in December 2021, when STAPI team members met Sangamitra and extended their support to setting up a grocery shop in their locality. Earlier through Project Phoenix financial support of Rs. 24 660 was extended to Sangamitra for reducing the burden of medical expenses and treatment of sickle cell diseases of her children.

Today, in a locality where no women had the courage and support to start their own business, is now recognizing the new women entrepreneur and a warrior like Sangamitra who is fighting her own battle and encouraging her peers.

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