Huligamma
“Six years ago, people would not even want to speak to me.”

“They held me in such low regard. But now, I am a name in the community. People respect
me, seek my opinion. Even politicians come and visit me.”
Huligamma lives alone with her four children ever since her husband left to live
with someone else. Things were much worse when her husband was around.
“We lived in utter poverty. Whatever little money I made, my husband would snatch away
for alcohol. There were lots of fights at home, and he would beat me. Our neighbors stayed
away from us. No one had any respect for us.”
Huligamma got involved with Samuha after her husband left.
“In the first [self-help group] meeting, I could not even say my name out loud. I had never
spoken up in front of anybody. But with more and more training, I grew in confidence and
improved my knowledge.”
Huligamma saw the same changes among all the women in her group.
“All 10 of us, we had barely stepped out of our houses before. But now you see us, we are
all running our own small businesses.”
No one who knew her earlier would have guessed that Huligamma had a head for
business. Yet all she had needed was a supportive environment.
“I used my first loan to buy a house so we could move out of the rented house. Then I took
a loan to start a tailoring business. I do good work, so I get good business. [Over these six
years,] I have taken many loans and have taken up a variety of business opportunities. For
instance, I sell vehicle insurance policies to people. They benefit, and I benefit. Now I have
taken a loan to start a cloth business.”
Huligamma is seen as a role model for others.
“I was taken to Bangalore and given an award for business practice. I have also appeared
on TV.”
She herself is amazed at what she accomplished by joining her self-help group.
“By saving just 10 rupees a week, I have not only gained in wealth, I have gained in so
many things - courage, exposure, understanding.”