Krishna Gautam, a 35 year-old scheduled caste woman from Ashipur village in Pratapgarh district, started out as an Employment Guarantee Scheme worker. After enrolling at the Adult Literacy Centre operated by BAIF, she started teaching at an English medium school in Pratapgarh at a monthly salary of INR 4500.
Under the Gram Shakti initiative of CRISIL Foundation and through the Self Help Group at her village, she completed a Learning Management System module on banking facilitation and today, as a bank facilitator, she earns INR 9000 per month. She also provides doorstep services to the elderly.
With the encouragement of her husband and sons, she also enrolled for the Bachelor of Education Programme last year and will be appearing for the final semester exams this year. She and Shanti Mishra from BAIF who facilitated this programme, have transformed the lives of women in Pratapgarh district.