Seema Verma Sets an Example of Women’s Empowerment through SHG and Microfinance

22 November 2025, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand — Seema Verma, a 40-year-old resident of Khirgaon, has emerged as an inspiring example of how women can transform their lives through self-help and financial discipline. Despite limited formal education and household responsibilities, Seema turned her tailoring skills into a livelihood and later diversified her income with the support of a Self-Help Group (SHG) promoted by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK).

In 2012, she joined the SHG and availed her first microcredit of ₹10,000. Through consistent savings, timely repayments and cautious use of loans, she gradually expanded her work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when her husband’s printing and photocopy shop was closed, Seema utilized microcredit to reconstruct part of her house and opened a small shop selling cosmetics and puja items.

Today, she earns ₹300–₹400 per day and contributes significantly to her family’s livelihood. Seema also serves as the SHG treasurer and is appreciated for maintaining transparent records and declining loans beyond her repayment capacity.

Her journey demonstrates how microfinance and collective support can empower women to build resilient and self-sustaining livelihoods.