Courtesy of: HomeNet South Asia
When Champaben Ravat first came home with a bag of scrap waste to repurpose, she could not have imagined her future as a leader of her community.
Born into a struggling farming family in the village of Maliya, Mehsana, Champaben faced economic hardships from an early age. The prospect of higher education was out of reach from the very beginning. Even the 15-rupee cost of just commuting to college one way was an unimaginable expense for their family of nine. So Champaben had to abandon her educational aspirations and take up farming to help make ends meet.
At 22, she got married and moved to Ahmedabad to live with her in-laws. Unfortunately, her financial struggles didn’t improve. Faced with the ongoing challenge of supporting her family, she became a home-based worker – she would purchase inorganic waste from local shops and repurpose them into purses, bags or pillow covers. This was a turning point in her life.
Champaben’s ability to quickly learn new skills soon began to pay off, with her earnings increasing to 2000 rupees a month. This income provided her with a sense of stability and self-sufficiency.
Her involvement with the Indian Academy for Self Employed Women (IASEW) was another pivotal step. It introduced Champaben to various training programs that equipped her with new skills and perspectives, enabling her to take on a more active role in her community.
One such program focused on community mobilisation, resource management, and leadership skills. It expanded her horizons beyond her immediate work – and soon she started her own group meetings to address issues within her community. From helping other women open bank accounts to guiding them to access financial services and government schemes, her impact was huge!
Another training on gender-based violence awareness led to tangible results – Champaben successfully intervened to help a neighbour facing domestic issues. This incident reinforced her reputation as a trusted figure of support against violence in her community.
After receiving training on Environmental Action Through Climate Change, Champaben dedicated her efforts to sustainable practices – be it by making disposable bowls and plates from leaves, repurposing waste materials into useful household items or learning to grow her own vegetables. Her efforts had a noticeable impact, with many in her community learning how to cut down plastic or water wastage, inspired by her.
Today, Champaben is a recognised leader, advocating for more women to participate in training programs and empowering them to tackle their own challenges. Security and financial stability has touched Champaben’s own family too. After 16 years of hard work, she and her husband purchased their own 1BHK house as joint partners – cementing her role as a self-sufficient leader of tomorrow.
