Shobha
విజయ కథ
10 June 2026
Success Story of U. Shobha Rani
Childhood
I was born in a small village called Sambayya Palle. Our family was a large one, consisting of my parents, grandparents, younger brother, younger sister, and myself. My parents were farmers, but due to crop failures they started running a small grocery shop to support our family. Because of financial difficulties, some of our land had to be sold to repay debts. My father's illness resulted in heavy medical expenses, and during the same period my grandfather passed away due to ill health. As debts continued to increase, we were forced to sell all our remaining land and migrate to Gudur village.
My parents enrolled us in a government school, but our financial condition remained very difficult. My mother worked as a daily wage laborer while also helping run the grocery shop. Life was a mixture of happy moments and hardships, with constant struggles to meet our basic needs.
Education
I was married while studying in the 9th standard and completed my education up to the 10th standard. After having children, I pursued an Open Degree from Kakatiya University. While working as a Community Resource Person (CRP), I completed a Master's Degree in Rural Development (MA-RD). I always had a strong desire to continue my education, which motivated me to study even after marriage.
Early Marriage
I was married at the age of 14 due to my family's poor economic condition. It was a child marriage, and I was married into another poor family. At such a young age, I faced many challenges and hardships without fully understanding the responsibilities of married life.
Children
I have two sons. My elder son is employed, while my younger son is currently pursuing his B.Tech second year.
Family Situation Before Joining the SHG
After marriage, my husband suffered losses in his fertilizer business, leading to severe debt. The family had to sell its one acre of land, but even then the debts could not be cleared. My husband, mother-in-law, and father-in-law worked as daily laborers. We later migrated to Janpak village in Geesugonda Mandal of Warangal District.
We lived in a rented house, and our first son was born during this period. His health was poor, and my husband earned only ₹1,200 per month in a factory. My father-in-law was often ill, and my mother-in-law worked as a laborer. Their combined income was insufficient to meet our family needs. Nobody trusted us enough to lend money, and even small household expenses became difficult to manage. Creditors harassed us, and relatives often looked down upon us. Because of our situation, we avoided attending social functions and gatherings.
Joining the Self-Help Group
My mother had borrowed money from a Self-Help Group for my marriage, and I remembered how that support had helped our family. Wanting a better future for my children, I decided to join a Self-Help Group. At that time, 17 SHGs were already functioning in our village. Inspired by their success, we decided to form our own group.
I met several Muslim women in the village, and a woman named Safiya helped me establish a new SHG. This became the turning point in my life.
Opportunities as a Community Leader
Through the SHG movement, I received several opportunities to serve the community. I worked as a district federation magazine reporter, SHG Book Keeper, Village Organization Assistant (VOA), Community Resource Person (CRP), Senior CRP, Auditor, Translator, SLCT member through SERP, NCRP and NCMT through NIRD. I also worked as an SHG Auditor, VO Auditor, CLF Auditor and participated in GPDP training programs.
Trainings Received
Over the years, I underwent extensive training programs, including:
• TTDC Training – 10 days
• SHG Book Keeper Training – 7 days
• CRP Training – 15 days
• MCP Training – 20 days
• Auditor Training – 20 days
• Hindi CRP and Book Keeper Training – 50 days
• SLCT Training – 15 days
• VO and CLF Auditor Training – 15 days
• Senior CRP Training – 10 days
• Gender Training – 10 days
• NCMT Training at NIRD – 20 days
These trainings enabled me to work across 18 states of India as a CRP, Senior CRP, MCP Trainer, TOT Trainer, SHG Auditor, VO Auditor, and CLF Auditor, contributing to the strengthening of community institutions.
National-Level Contributions
Through SERP and NIRD, I provided training in numerous states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Haryana, Punjab, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan.
I trained thousands of SHG members, Book Keepers, Community Resource Persons, Village Organization representatives, CLF members, auditors, and community leaders. Through NIRD-OMS alone, I participated in more than 800 training programs across 29 states and worked as a translator for more than 5,000 visitors and trainees.
What I Learned Through Training
My experiences across India taught me valuable lessons about women's empowerment and community development. I observed significant changes in women who had once been confined to their homes. They became self-reliant, started livelihoods, increased their incomes, and improved their living standards.
Women learned about sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, education, financial management, entrepreneurship, banking services, participation in Gram Sabhas, and sustainable livelihoods. Many who had once been unable to write became Book Keepers and Auditors through training. Most importantly, women gained confidence, self-respect, and faith in community institutions.
Recognition and Public Speaking Opportunities
The SHG movement opened doors to many prestigious opportunities. I was invited to speak at meetings attended by former Chief Ministers Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. I also had opportunities to participate in meetings with Union Ministers, address training programs attended by IAS officers, and interact with senior officials at NIRD.
In April 2023, I spoke at the "Sangathan Ke Samooh" event in Delhi. In June 2023, I participated in the W20 program as part of the G20 events held in Tamil Nadu. Through NIRD, OMS, and SERP, I served as a translator and trainer for thousands of participants from across India.
Transformation Through the SHG Movement
The SHG movement transformed my life. From a child bride living in poverty and debt, I became a community leader, trainer, auditor, translator, and resource person working across India. Through SHG loans, I was able to support my children's education, buy land, build a house, purchase an auto-rickshaw for income generation, and improve my family's financial condition.
Today, I stand as an example of how Self-Help Groups can empower rural women, create leadership opportunities, and transform lives through collective action, financial inclusion, and continuous learning.
Childhood
I was born in a small village called Sambayya Palle. Our family was a large one, consisting of my parents, grandparents, younger brother, younger sister, and myself. My parents were farmers, but due to crop failures they started running a small grocery shop to support our family. Because of financial difficulties, some of our land had to be sold to repay debts. My father's illness resulted in heavy medical expenses, and during the same period my grandfather passed away due to ill health. As debts continued to increase, we were forced to sell all our remaining land and migrate to Gudur village.
My parents enrolled us in a government school, but our financial condition remained very difficult. My mother worked as a daily wage laborer while also helping run the grocery shop. Life was a mixture of happy moments and hardships, with constant struggles to meet our basic needs.
Education
I was married while studying in the 9th standard and completed my education up to the 10th standard. After having children, I pursued an Open Degree from Kakatiya University. While working as a Community Resource Person (CRP), I completed a Master's Degree in Rural Development (MA-RD). I always had a strong desire to continue my education, which motivated me to study even after marriage.
Early Marriage
I was married at the age of 14 due to my family's poor economic condition. It was a child marriage, and I was married into another poor family. At such a young age, I faced many challenges and hardships without fully understanding the responsibilities of married life.
Children
I have two sons. My elder son is employed, while my younger son is currently pursuing his B.Tech second year.
Family Situation Before Joining the SHG
After marriage, my husband suffered losses in his fertilizer business, leading to severe debt. The family had to sell its one acre of land, but even then the debts could not be cleared. My husband, mother-in-law, and father-in-law worked as daily laborers. We later migrated to Janpak village in Geesugonda Mandal of Warangal District.
We lived in a rented house, and our first son was born during this period. His health was poor, and my husband earned only ₹1,200 per month in a factory. My father-in-law was often ill, and my mother-in-law worked as a laborer. Their combined income was insufficient to meet our family needs. Nobody trusted us enough to lend money, and even small household expenses became difficult to manage. Creditors harassed us, and relatives often looked down upon us. Because of our situation, we avoided attending social functions and gatherings.
Joining the Self-Help Group
My mother had borrowed money from a Self-Help Group for my marriage, and I remembered how that support had helped our family. Wanting a better future for my children, I decided to join a Self-Help Group. At that time, 17 SHGs were already functioning in our village. Inspired by their success, we decided to form our own group.
I met several Muslim women in the village, and a woman named Safiya helped me establish a new SHG. This became the turning point in my life.
Opportunities as a Community Leader
Through the SHG movement, I received several opportunities to serve the community. I worked as a district federation magazine reporter, SHG Book Keeper, Village Organization Assistant (VOA), Community Resource Person (CRP), Senior CRP, Auditor, Translator, SLCT member through SERP, NCRP and NCMT through NIRD. I also worked as an SHG Auditor, VO Auditor, CLF Auditor and participated in GPDP training programs.
Trainings Received
Over the years, I underwent extensive training programs, including:
• TTDC Training – 10 days
• SHG Book Keeper Training – 7 days
• CRP Training – 15 days
• MCP Training – 20 days
• Auditor Training – 20 days
• Hindi CRP and Book Keeper Training – 50 days
• SLCT Training – 15 days
• VO and CLF Auditor Training – 15 days
• Senior CRP Training – 10 days
• Gender Training – 10 days
• NCMT Training at NIRD – 20 days
These trainings enabled me to work across 18 states of India as a CRP, Senior CRP, MCP Trainer, TOT Trainer, SHG Auditor, VO Auditor, and CLF Auditor, contributing to the strengthening of community institutions.
National-Level Contributions
Through SERP and NIRD, I provided training in numerous states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Haryana, Punjab, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan.
I trained thousands of SHG members, Book Keepers, Community Resource Persons, Village Organization representatives, CLF members, auditors, and community leaders. Through NIRD-OMS alone, I participated in more than 800 training programs across 29 states and worked as a translator for more than 5,000 visitors and trainees.
What I Learned Through Training
My experiences across India taught me valuable lessons about women's empowerment and community development. I observed significant changes in women who had once been confined to their homes. They became self-reliant, started livelihoods, increased their incomes, and improved their living standards.
Women learned about sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, education, financial management, entrepreneurship, banking services, participation in Gram Sabhas, and sustainable livelihoods. Many who had once been unable to write became Book Keepers and Auditors through training. Most importantly, women gained confidence, self-respect, and faith in community institutions.
Recognition and Public Speaking Opportunities
The SHG movement opened doors to many prestigious opportunities. I was invited to speak at meetings attended by former Chief Ministers Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. I also had opportunities to participate in meetings with Union Ministers, address training programs attended by IAS officers, and interact with senior officials at NIRD.
In April 2023, I spoke at the "Sangathan Ke Samooh" event in Delhi. In June 2023, I participated in the W20 program as part of the G20 events held in Tamil Nadu. Through NIRD, OMS, and SERP, I served as a translator and trainer for thousands of participants from across India.
Transformation Through the SHG Movement
The SHG movement transformed my life. From a child bride living in poverty and debt, I became a community leader, trainer, auditor, translator, and resource person working across India. Through SHG loans, I was able to support my children's education, buy land, build a house, purchase an auto-rickshaw for income generation, and improve my family's financial condition.
Today, I stand as an example of how Self-Help Groups can empower rural women, create leadership opportunities, and transform lives through collective action, financial inclusion, and continuous learning.
విజయం అంటే మీరు సాధించిన దాని గురించి మాత్రమే కాదు, మీరు ఇతరులను ఏమి చేయడానికి ప్రేరేపిస్తారు అనే దాని గురించి కూడా. ఈ ప్రయాణం దృఢ సంకల్పం మరియు సరైన మద్దతుతో ఏదైనా సాధ్యమని రుజుపు చేస్తుంది.
ఈ కథను భాగస్వామ్యం చేయండి
మరిన్ని కథలు
కథల గురించి
ఈ విజయ గాథలు అంకితభావం, నైపుణ్యాభివృద్ధి మరియు కమ్యూనిటీ మద్దతు ద్వారా తమ జీవితాలను మార్చుకున్న వ్యక్తుల విశేషమైన ప్రయాణాలను ప్రదర్శిస్తాయి. ప్రతి కథ సాధికారత యొక్క శక్తికి నిదర్శనం.
మీ కథను భాగస్వామ్యం చేయండి
ప్రేరణాత్మక ప్రయాణం ఉందా? మీ విజయ గాథను మాతో భాగస్వామ్యం చేయండి మరియు ఇతరులను ప్రేరేపించండి.
మమ్మల్ని సంప్రదించండి