I am Laxmiben Dharangi Maheswari, a poor woman from Kodki Village in Gurarat, India. I lost my husband ten years ago. I have a son and two daughters. I had no land, no skills and no education. I used to work for six months each year and earned 20 Rupees (44 cents USD) per day. I did not have work for the other six months of the year.

In the summer of 2001, the Lutheran World Federation began work in our village and a Self Help Group with 16 women was formed. LWF gave us training on various subjects like health, environment, accounting, tailoring, self-government, etc. In 2002 I took out an LWF loan for 4,500 Rupees ($99.00 USD) and bought a sewing machine.

Today I am fully involved in sewing. My daily income is about 100 Rupees ($2.20 USD) and I have paid back 4,000 Rupees (($88.00 USD) on the loan.

I am self-assured. I have joined an LWF Non-Formal Education group. I can read and write a little now. I send my children to school. I am now the secretary of my Self Help Group. Today I can stand up and say that when LWF leaves our area, we will be able to continue work on our own!

Note: In India, the LWF provides functional literacy for 16,000 men and women through 936 Non-Formal Education groups.