Where Women Rise, Communities Thrive

Selvarani Yoganathan’s Story

Selvarani from Valluvarpuram overcame hardship via V2M training in cattle rearing and cultivation. Now financially stable, she supports her family and leads her Self-Help Group, demonstrating women’s transformative community impact.

Selvarani Yoganathan, a mother of three from Valluvarpuram in the Theravil Cluster, once faced severe economic hardship. With her husband unable to work due to alcoholism, she became the sole provider—earning a meagre income as a daily wage labourer. Despite financial stress and emotional isolation, Selvarani held onto hope.

Her turning point came when she joined the Village2Markets (V2M) programme, supported by SLCDF. Becoming part of a Self-Help Group (SHG) provided her not only with access to financial support and skills training, but also with a strong community of women.

Through the programme, Selvarani:

• Learned cattle rearing and now earns Rs. 1,200+ per day from milk sales

• Produces organic compost and cultivates groundnuts on her land

• Maintains a thriving home garden and runs a small poultry unit

• Accesses low-interest loans and reinvests into growing her livelihood

Today, she supports her children's education—including her eldest who is now attending university—and has even been able to gift a symbolic gold ornament to her child, reflecting a hard-won sense of dignity and achievement.

“I never believed I could change my life, but with support, I found my strength.” – Selvarani

Selvarani is now a respected leader within her SHG, inspiring other women to overcome adversity and pursue their own paths to independence. Her journey is a powerful example of how women's empowerment can uplift entire families and communities.