From Struggle to Stability

The Story of Sakunthala Kumarasami

With support from Village to Markets, Sakunthala turned hardship into a thriving groundnut farm and grocery business. Now a leader in her Self-Help Group, she inspires other women with hope and strength.

Sakunthala Kumarasami’s journey is more than a personal success—it’s a beacon of hope. In the quiet village of Manikkapuram, she began each day with a silent prayer. As a mother of three daughters and caregiver to her aging parents, her life was a constant struggle to balance hope and hardship.

Her husband earned a small income selling plastic goods on the street, while she ran a tiny roadside grocery shop just to put food on the table. With one daughter in university, another preparing for A/Ls, and the youngest in Grade 6, every rupee was stretched thin. Though the family owned a small piece of land, they lacked the tools, capital, and time to cultivate it. The land stood unused—silent and full of untapped promise.

“I used to stare at that land,” Sakunthala recalls, “and wonder if we’d ever be able to do something with it.”

Everything began to change when Sakunthala joined a Self-Help Group (SHG) under the Village to Markets (V2M) programme supported by Palmera. At first, she was hesitant—unaccustomed to relying on others. But over time, with consistent support and encouragement, she stepped into a new chapter.

She was introduced to groundnut cultivation—an accessible, low-risk crop with great potential. With proper training, tools, and ongoing guidance, she began working the land that once seemed out of reach. Her hands, once used for stocking shelves, now tilled the soil with purpose.

Sakunthala also began saving through her SHG. With her growing financial literacy and confidence, she took out a small, low-interest loan to restock her grocery shop. Another helped her lease additional land to expand her cultivation.

“My daughters now eat well, study well, and sleep without hearing me cry at night,” she says, with a soft smile.

Today, Sakunthala has:

• Saved Rs. 56,770

• Developed a thriving groundnut plot

• Rebuilt her grocery shop into a sustainable business

• Become a leader within her SHG, mentoring other women

  
  

Sakunthala no longer waits for miracles—she plans for the future. Her story is not just one of survival, but one of transformation. She embodies the resilience, potential, and quiet strength that so many rural women carry within them.

“I can finally breathe,” she says. “And I want other women to feel the same.”